An Unexpected Alliance
by accrossoverficwriter363
Summary: The Torchwood team and the ARC team have to work together when an anomaly opens up in Cardiff, bringing the supposedly dead Stephen Hart and a dangerous creature from the future with it. The full ARC team and a version of the Torchwood team with Martha and Mickey appears in this.
1. Chapter 1

**Category**: AC _Torchwood_/_Primeval_ Crossover

**Rating**: PG-13 to R

**Warnings**: Slash (nothing sexually graphic), violence, some strong language

**Characters**: "My" TW team (Jack, Ianto, Gwen, Martha, and Mickey) and PC Andy; the ARC team (Nick, Connor, Abby, Jenny, Sarah, Becker, and Lester, plus Stephen)

**Pairings**: _Torchwood_- Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys; _Primeval_- Connor/Abby, Nick/Jenny

**Spoilers**: The first two seasons of _Torchwood_; the first two seasons of _Primeval_, plus S3 up to Episode 3

**Notes**: This is completely AC for both shows, as it takes place some time after my fic _Matters of Choice_ (though you don't have to have read that to be able to follow this), and Cutter is still alive. Depending on how well it's received, this story might be the start of a series.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own _Torchwood_, _Primeval_, or either series' characters. I just thought it would be fun to throw the two groups together and have them work as one unit to take care of a problem ;).

_As his view of Cutter is obstructed more and more by the gathered predators crowding in closer, Stephen looks away from the door to face his death_ _head on_. _He retreats step by step_, _then suddenly feels a pull at his back_. _He stops where he is and turns around_. _To his shocked surprise_, _he sees an open anomaly_. _He takes only a moment to weigh the pros and cons of going through it_, _then turns his back completely and sprints inside_, _thinking to himself_, "_Better than being torn to pieces by a bunch of hungry predators_." _He quickly disappears_, _with three of the predators_— _the Raptor pair and one of the hunters from the future_— _in hot pursuit_.

One evening, the Torchwood team, back to its original numbers with the additions of Martha Jones and Mickey Smith, is interrupted from a relaxed meal by the alert sound of the Rift monitor. All five get up immediately from the table to take a look, Mickey in the lead.

"What have we got, Mickey?" Jack asks, his mouth full of pizza.

"Some sort of disturbance on the outskirts of Cardiff." He answers, the slice of pizza he had grabbed seconds before still in his hand.

"Any video?" Jack continues.

"No, none at all." Mickey replies.

"We'll have to be prepared for anything, then." Jack observes. Turning from Mickey to the rest of the team, he says, "Okay guys, eat and drink up quick. We've got work to do." The tightly packed group around Mickey breaks up and goes back to the table, where, standing up, each team member hurriedly finishes eating. After giving them a few minutes, Jack says, "Alright, let's go." The others file out, leaving Jack and Ianto alone.

Pausing in his cleanup, Ianto asks, "Are we all going, sir? Or should I stay behind and keep an eye on things here?"

"Nope, you're coming, so take care of the dishes you have and meet us outside by the SUV." Jack answers.

"Yes sir." Ianto replies, smiling, clearly glad that in spite of the team being back to full strength, he isn't going to be relegated to the position of Hub watcher again.

Jack, who had begun walking away after answering Ianto's question, stops and turns back around. "Ianto, come here." He says, sounding stern. Ianto looks at him uncertainly, but after putting down the pile of dishes, comes over anyway.

"Yes, Jack?" Ianto asks when he reaches him.

Putting his arms around Ianto's waist and pulling him closer, Jack replies, "Did you _really_ think I'd leave you here?"

"Well, since Martha and Mickey are now part of the team, I just thought…"

"That I'd put you in charge of watching over the Hub again." Jack finishes for him. Ianto simply nods. His older lover kisses him on the cheek and says, "Then you don't know me very well."

"No, I guess I don't." Ianto replies, smiling slightly. Suddenly, in the spur of the moment, he puts his arm around Jack's shoulder and kisses him fully on the mouth.

The two men separate at the same time, and Jack says, "I'm gonna go up and get my coat while you're finishing down here, then we'll go, okay?"

"Yes sir." Ianto answers, nodding.

Before he heads in the direction of the stairs, Jack takes Ianto by the right shoulder and kisses him lightly on the lips. Following that, Jack pulls away, saying, "I'll be right down." Ianto nods in response, and Jack turns around, heading for the stairs. With Jack out of sight, Ianto returns to cleaning up the dishes and leftovers from the team's unfinished dinner. He completes most of the task within five minutes, just in time to see Jack reappear at the top of the stairs, his coat billowing out behind him slightly. In spite of still needing to wipe down the table, Ianto can't help but stop what he's doing and watch his captain descend the stairs.

He'd always loved seeing Jack in that coat, from the very evening, nearly two years ago, that he had first met him. Ianto still didn't understand _why_, but every once in a while, seeing his lover in it nearly took his breath away, just like it was doing at the moment.

"Ready to go?" Jack asks him.

The sound of Jack's voice off a little to his right brings Ianto's attention back to his surroundings, and he replies, "Yes sir."

"Okay, come on." Jack responds, brushing past as he starts toward the hatch. Ianto leaves the rag lying on the table and jogs after Jack. He soon catches up, and the two men cover the remaining distance to the hatch, Jack slightly ahead of Ianto. Before they go through, Jack turns to the younger man and hands him a pistol, saying, "I grabbed this for you so you didn't have to rush through cleaning up in order to get it before I went out the door."

"Thanks." Ianto answers.

"Sure." The brief exchange concluded, the couple goes out the door, and it rolls shut behind them. After stepping off the curb, they head right and walk straight until they reach the corresponding corner of the building, where they go right again. A minute or two later, the pair reaches the SUV and the rest of the team. Each member of the group gets in silently, Jack and Ianto in front, the other three in back. Following the clicking of seatbelts, they drive off.

Forty-five minutes later, Jack, who is sitting behind the wheel, glances up at his rearview mirror and says with annoyance, "Jeez, Mickey, when you said outskirts of Cardiff, you weren't kidding! How much further?"

Mickey glances at the screen of the portable computer in his lap and replies, "Our location's right up ahead." Jack drives for a couple of more minutes, then Mickey says, "Okay, we're here." Jack brakes and stops, then puts the SUV in "Park".

All five members of the team get out at the same time. While they are loading their weapons with ammunition, Jack cautions, "Remember, everyone, we have no idea what we're dealing with, so be very, _very_ careful." The quartet nods in unison, then their leader says, "Okay, let's see what we've got." With that, the team, walking in formation, goes to investigate.

After ten minutes, they reach an area with an almost labyrinthine network of streets and narrow, deserted alleyways.

"I don't like the look of this at all— no people, no cars, hardly any houses— not much of anything." Jack comments, almost in a whisper. He turns to Mickey, standing to his right, and asks, "Anything more since we found our location?"

"Just a really faint signal coming from— this direction." Mickey answers, pointing right slightly to the northeast.

"Then that must be our target. Come on." The others follow Jack in nervous silence, looking around as they go.

A few minutes later, they are stopped by Mickey, who says, "This is the place." The team looks up to find itself standing in front of a deserted, empty warehouse.

"_Here_? Are you sure?" Jack asks.

"Yeah, look." Mickey replies, showing him the handheld Rift activity tracker.

"Wow! That is some _strong_ activity!" Jack answers. "Mind if I take a closer look?" he asks, his hand outstretched.

"No, not at all." the younger man replies, handing the device to him.

"Thanks." The Torchwood leader answers, taking it.

"No problem." Mickey replies. Jack returns to checking out the device's screen. Almost immediately after he gets a good look at it, an expression of complete surprise and puzzlement crosses his face.

From his left, Ianto, who had first seen the look, says, "What is it, Jack?"

Shaking his head in bafflement, Jack answers, "I've never seen a Rift activity signature like this!"

"Like what?" the young Welshman asks.

"Take a look." Jack says, handing the device over. "In all my years working for Torchwood, nothing like that has _ever_ shown up. Have _you_ ever seen a signature with that pattern?"

"No, can't say I have." Ianto answers, shaking his head.

"What are you two going on about?" Mickey remarks.

"The activity signature on the monitor." Jack explains, turning to him.

"What about it?" the younger man questions.

"Its pattern is one we've never seen before."

"Oh, got it." Mickey says, nodding understandingly. "Can I have another look?" he asks.

"Yeah, here you go." Jack responds, handing it back.

"Thanks."

"Mmhmm… ."

Mickey takes the same amount of time looking it over as Jack had, then says, "I haven't been at this for very long, but after hearing what you said about it and looking at it again, you're right— it _is_ different from anything else we've seen."

"What do you two mean, 'different'?" Gwen pipes up.

"Mickey, why don't you show Gwen and Martha what we mean." Jack suggests.

"Sure." He says, handing the monitor to Gwen, who is standing to his right.

"So, Gwen, what do you think?" Jack asks, his hands on his hips.

"I see what you mean. It _does_ look really weird." She replies, nodding. Turning to Martha, Gwen asks, "Martha, do you want to have a look?"

"No, I'm good. That's your guys' thing." She replies blandly. Gwen hands the device back to Mickey, then he and the others wait for further instructions from Jack.

"I think that's all for now. Let's go in and find out what we're dealing with." Their leader says. The quartet nods as one, then follows him into the warehouse. No sooner do they get a few feet inside, when every one of them, including Jack, stops dead in his or her tracks, eyes wide and mouth agape at the sight in front of them.

"What the heck _is_ that?" Martha exclaims quietly.

"I have no idea." Jack says in an awestruck tone, shaking his head. He looks at Mickey, still to his right, and asks, "What does the monitoring device say? Any changes?"

"The activity signature is the same, but it's gotten a lot stronger since we came in here." The younger man answers.

"How much more?" Jack asks.

"Two times stronger, at least. Possibly more." Mickey replies.

"_That much_?" the Torchwood leader exclaims. Mickey nods. "Wow! Whatever that thing is, it emits a whole lot of energy!" Jack comments, looking back at the whitely glowing, roughly circular, shattered glass-like mass.

"So, what now?" Gwen asks curiously.

In response, Jack says, "Well, first, we should probably stay as far away as possible from this…whatever it is, since we don't know what kind of energy it's producing and how that might physically affect us. As for what to do next, I'd say since it showed up in the Hub as Rift activity, we should take a quick sweep of this place and see what came through, if anything. Are you guys okay with that?"

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea to me." Gwen answers.

"Mickey?" Jack continues.

"Yeah, fine with me." He replies.

"Ianto?" Jack receives no answer. "Ianto, is that…"

Jack is cut off mid-sentence by Ianto saying, "Shhh…, be quiet for a minute. Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Jack says with some annoyance. His demeanor changes as soon as he sees the concerned look on his lover's face, however. "What is it?" Jack asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ianto's one word response is, "Listen."

Jack does so for a minute and a half, then suddenly stiffens, saying, "We aren't alone in here."

"No, we're not." The young Welshman agrees.

"Good catch, Ianto. Thanks."

"You're welcome." Ianto replies in his habitually demure manner.

Jack turns back to the rest of the team and says, "Alright, you heard what Ianto and I said: something, or _some things_, are in here with us, so a change of plans is in order. Instead of doing a quick survey, we're going to look this place over from top to bottom and front to back, to see if we can track down what came through this thing. Like I said when we first got here, be _very_ careful. I also want us to stay together, rather than split up. It _will_ take longer to investigate this place fully, but considering we know next to nothing about the situation, I think it would be safer to do it that way. Anyone disagree?" No one gives a sign, either physical or vocal, of such a feeling, so Jack says, "Good. Let's go." Each member of the group adjusts his or her position in the sloppily formed line until they are organized into a rough boomerang shape. Arranged in that formation, with Jack and Gwen side by side in front, the team begins its inspection of the warehouse, guided by flashlight.

Twenty minutes into the investigation, Jack stops them, saying, "Wait, don't move." The rest of the team stops mid-stride, and he continues. "I heard scraping ahead of us on the floor just now. Did you guys, too?"

"I did." Ianto answers first.

Following Ianto's response, Jack asks the three remaining team members the question again, and each one of them, either by gesture or spoken confirmation, answers in the affirmative. Jack then turns back to Ianto and inquires, "Ianto, what direction would you say the noise came from?"

"Mmmm…, probably from the left." He answers.

Nodding, Jack replies, "Yeah, I thought so too." Enlarging his gaze to include the others, in addition to Ianto, the Torchwood leader says, "Okay guys, let's see who or what we're keeping company with in here." The team breaks up its boomerang formation and reorganizes itself into a vertical line, then resumes walking. At that very moment, the scraping sound starts again in a nearby corner, then abruptly stops.

"That sounded closer this time." Gwen remarks nervously.

"Yeah, it did." Jack agrees. "Are you okay to check it out first, or do you want me to?"

"No, I'm fine with it, but cover me, alright?" Jack nods. Gwen advances forward slowly, still with the flashlight in her hand. When she reaches the supposedly occupied corner, she shines the light into the darkness, where it reveals PC Andy and a tiny group of other police officers huddled together, cowering, their faces pale as those of ghosts'. "Andy? What are you doing way out here?" Gwen exclaims.

"G-Gwen? Is that you?" he stutters, rising slightly from the tight crouch he is in.

"Yeah." She replies. Noticing the terrified posture of PC Andy and his fellow officers, Gwen adds, "What's wrong?"

Nearly knocking her over in his gladness to see a familiar face, PC Andy, talking a mile a minute, exclaims, "Oh, thank god! I'm _so_ glad you're here, it was just horrible, like watching a real life slasher film! I don't _ever_ want to witness something like that again, it was just…"

The terrified police officer is suddenly quieted by the firm but comforting touch of hands on his shoulders, and Gwen saying gently, "Andy, calm down. Just relax and tell me what happened, from the beginning to now."

His breathing and heart rate slow little by little until both are back to normal, then he begins his account of the events. "Close to an hour ago, we were phoned about some sort of animal pursuing a man around here, so we came to investigate the report. We saw the guy first, hiding in one of the alleys. He looked rough, but seemed polite and non-threatening, so we asked him if _he_ was the person our contact was talking about. He said he probably was, that it couldn't possibly be anyone else, so we told him we'd do everything we could to help him get away from the animal that was chasing him. He didn't seem too keen on the idea, but he accepted our offer anyway."

Gwen interrupts Andy from giving his account for a minute and asks, "Did he tell you _why_ he had reservations about it?"

"No, but we found out the reason soon enough." He answers.

"You did?" Gwen inquires. Andy nods. "Okay, go on."

"Everything went fine for awhile, but then the creature showed up."

"What did it look like? Was it a Weevil?" Gwen asks.

"No, it definitely _wasn_'_t_ a Weevil, or even one of the _other_ usual spooky-dos of yours we see. It looked like something from a blooming nightmare! It was this monstrosity of a thing I _hope to god_ I'll never have to see again!"

"So some sort of alien we've never encountered before, then." Gwen muses. Andy nods. "Okay, what did you do after you saw it?"

"I split my crew into two groups, thinking it would confuse the creature. About half were with me, and the other half were with our subject."

Gwen nods, then asks, "Did the plan work?"

"Hardly at all." Andy replies, shaking his head mournfully. "Some of my men were armed, but _that_ didn't even do any good. They were barely able to each take two shots at the creature before it was on them, biting and ripping them to bits! It was horrific!"

"How many would you say you lost in all?" Gwen asks.

"A little more than half, probably." Andy answers.

"While all that was happening, what was this man you were trying to help doing? Did he leave it all up to you and your men, or did he take part in fighting off this thing?"

"Oh no, he helped a lot, or at least as much as he _could_ without being properly armed himself. When he saw how badly things were going, he told those of us who were left to run as fast and far away as we could, while he kept the creature distracted. It was a really stupid move, but a brave one, too. Anyway, we took the advice and ran, so that's how we ended up in here."

Gwen nods again thoughtfully, then inquires, "Do you have any ideas about what might have happened to him after that?"

"If he's lucky, the meal the creature made of my men was enough to fill it up, and it just disabled him and dragged him back to wherever it sleeps. More likely, though, he was torn limb from limb and eaten. I don't think you'll be finding any remains."

"No, you're probably right." Gwen says, sighing. "Thanks, Andy." He nods. "Are you okay?" she adds.

"Okay as I can be after going through that sort of thing." He answers. After a momentary pause, he asks, "The rest of Torchwood is with you, right? It's not just you who's here?"

"Right." Gwen replies. "I'm gonna go get them, and I'll be right back, okay?" she explains. Andy nods understandingly, and Gwen goes off to find the others.

It doesn't take her long to catch up with them. Almost as soon as she leaves Andy in the shadows of the corner, Gwen meets up with Jack.

"Is your friend okay?" he asks.

"Andy?" Jack nods. "Yeah, mostly." Gwen answers.

"What do you mean, 'mostly'?" Jack responds.

"What came through that thing at the entrance is some sort of alien, but it's an extremely dangerous one we've never encountered before."

"What makes you describe it that way?" Jack asks.

"When I found Andy and what's left of the crew that came with him, they all looked terrified. Whatever this creature is, it's so deadly that even _Andy_'_s_ afraid of it, and he's seen enough weird, otherworldly things that hardly _anything_ can phase him."

Nodding, Jack says, "That _is_ troubling." He stops for a moment, appearing to be considering something. Finally, he says, "Okay, before we try to catch up with this creature, we need to get your friend and his crew away from here and out of harm's way. Is he still where you left him?"

"Yeah, come on." Gwen replies. Jack and the others follow her, arriving back at the police officers' hiding place within a couple of minutes. Looking into the darkened corner, Gwen says, "Alright, Andy, you and your men can come out now." The form of the young police officer, flanked by three other figures, materializes out of the shadows.

Upon emerging from the corner, the first person Andy sees is Jack, standing to the right of Gwen. "Hi there." The young officer says neutrally. Jack nods back politely. "So, what's the plan?" Andy continues, looking back and forth between Gwen and Jack. It is eventually the latter who answers him.

"We're going to get you and your men out of here and to safety, then go from there."

"And the creature? What about that?" Andy asks.

"We'll worry about that once you and your team are out of the way."

"Okay. Thank you." Andy replies.

"Sure." Jack says. "So, how many of you are there?"

"Just us four."

"Four out of how many?"

"About ten, including me." Andy answers.

A look of amazement crosses Jack's face and he asks, "Seriously?" Andy nods. "Wow, that's…a lot of losses! Okay, um, are any of you armed?"

"Not one of us." Andy confesses.

"Alright, that makes things a bit more difficult."

"More than a bit!" Mickey, standing to Gwen's left, remarks.

"You're right." Jack agrees, looking at him. "But part of our responsibility is to make sure anybody caught in the middle of these situations isn't harmed, so as much as we might prefer to, we can't just let this man and his team be finished off by whatever's lurking around in here."

Seeing some growing tension between the two men, Martha, on Jack's right, asks, "So, how are we going to do this?"

"We need to spread out enough that we can protect PC Davidson and his men, _and_ keep an eye out for our alien. The best way to do that is get into our earlier formation, with them gathered in the middle."

"Sounds good so far." Martha responds. "What else?"

"Each one of us should focus on protecting one of them. That way, one or two won't be more vulnerable to attack than the others."

"That plan works for me. Guys?" The others, who had been listening during the exchange, nod.

The team arranges itself into the boomerang formation again, and PC Andy, having heard the entire conversation, instructs his three remaining officers to join him in the center of the quintet. When that has been done, the group sets off.

The next several minutes go by without incident, then Ianto glances up. His eyes widen in fear, and he shouts, "Jack, look out!" His lover has barely begun formulating a response, when he is knocked violently onto his back by a swift moving, grayish figure. When Jack lifts his head to look at his attacker, he is greeted by a mouth full of long, dagger-like teeth in a seemingly eyeless head.

The creature gives a shriek, then crouches to carry out another pouncing strike. As Jack scrabbles back in the manner of a crab in order to escape the oncoming attack, he glances back briefly at the others and shouts, "Get them out of here _right_ now!" Gwen, Martha, and Mickey turn around immediately and start leading PC Andy and his team away, but Ianto hesitates.

Looking back and stopping for a moment, Martha yells, "Ianto, come on!"

"No, you go ahead." He replies firmly.

"But…!"

"Just _go_! We'll be fine!" he says, more forcefully. "_Go_!" he finally shouts. Martha takes one last look at the young Welshman, preparing to fight to save the life of the person dearest to him, then turns back around and continues on her way.

Ianto, satisfied that Martha won't come back, turns to the scene in front of him. He looks up briefly, and for the first time, notices the dingy, whitish glow of fluorescent lights, mounted on the ceiling. Glad he doesn't have to waste precious time figuring out a source of light, Ianto springs into action. With his pistol in hand, he charges forward in a run, firing a series of shots at the creature as he draws nearer to his struggling lover. After being grazed and nicked by several bullets, the future predator backs off. With one last enraged shriek, it leaps onto one of the warehouse's foundational supports and climbs up it, finally disappearing among the building's rafters. Ianto stays where he is, looking around and listening for any telltale signs and sounds that the creature is coming back. After two minutes of standing stock-still, he rushes over to see how Jack fared in his fight with the creature.

"Jack, are you alright?" Ianto asks worriedly, crouching down next to his lover and putting a hand on his arm.

"Other than having a _hell _of a backache and being scratched all over, I'm fine, yeah." Jack replies blandly. "Thanks for the help." He adds.

Ianto nods, then asks, "Want a hand getting up?"

"Yeah, that would be great." Jack answers, sitting up slowly.

Noticing the careful manner in which his lover had raised himself up to his current posture, Ianto, the tone of concern creeping into his voice again, questions, "Are you _sure_ you aren't hurt any worse than you just told me?"

"Positive." Jack answers reassuringly. Ianto still doesn't appear convinced, so Jack adds, "I'm okay, I promise." To further prove he's being honest with Ianto, Jack kisses him lovingly on the cheek. Jack's reassurances finally do the trick, and Ianto takes him by the shoulder and helps him to his feet. Jack steadies himself without any problem, but is then caught off guard by Ianto fiercely wrapping him in an embrace and giving him an impassioned kiss of relief.

Following his outburst of emotion, Ianto lays his head on Jack's right shoulder and chokes out, "I thought for sure you'd met your match in that creature that attacked you." After expressing that fear, he lifts his head off Jack's shoulder and presses it against his chest.

Taking his left hand from around the young Welshman's waist placing it, palm down, on the back of his head, Jack reassures him, "Nope, not this time." As one final gesture of comfort before returning to business, Jack kisses his young lover on top of the head. "You okay?" he asks, gently lifting it and looking into the younger man's eyes. Ianto nods. "Good." Jack adds kindly, kissing him on the forehead. The intimate moment passes as suddenly as it had arisen, and Jack returns to the situation at hand, asking, "Did Martha, Mickey, and Gwen get our frightened little group of law enforcement officers out of the creature's reach?"

"I think they did, yes." Ianto answers.

"Good, then we'd better catch up with them."

"Yes we should." Ianto agrees.

"There's one little problem, though." Jack remarks, looking around.

"What's that?" the young Welshman asks, slightly bewildered.

"They left with the torch. How are we going to find our way back without some form of light?"

"Not a problem." Ianto answers, smiling slightly.

"How's that?" Jack asks. "Did you bring another one with you?"

"No. It turns out the lights in here still work. Look." The younger man answers, glancing above him.

Jack follows Ianto's gaze, and upon seeing the fluorescents above them, says, "How about that?" Looking from the ceiling back to Ianto, Jack declares, "Good. I guess we'd better get going, then."

"Yep." Ianto agrees with a nod. Following that brief exchange, the couple starts back, both men constantly scanning their surroundings for any sign of the future predator.

They return to the warehouse's entrance and their anxiously waiting colleagues twenty minutes later.

"Are you guys okay?" Martha asks concernedly.

"Yeah, we're fine." Jack answers. "Did you guys get PC Davidson and the remainder of his crew out of here okay?"

"Yeah. We escorted them about halfway to their vehicles, then they went the rest of the way on their own. They took off as soon as they got into their vehicles." Gwen answers.

"Sounds like they were pretty shaken up." Jack observes.

"Yeah" Gwen agrees, nodding.

After a pause, Jack muses, "It's a completely understandable reaction, though. That was one nasty alien. Probably the nastiest one I've ever encountered, actually."

"_Really_?" Gwen asks.

"Yeah." The Torchwood leader answers, nodding.

"Then we'd better hope it didn't follow the two of you and is lurking around somewhere." Martha remarks. "It didn't, did it? Follow you, I mean?"

"No." Jack answers, shaking his head. "The last we saw of it, it was scrambling up one of the foundational supports, then disappeared into the rafters. We kept an eye out for it on the way back, but never saw it again, so I think we're safe."

"That's comforting to know." Martha says with relief. "Shall we head back?"

"Yeah." Jack says. "But we should still stay alert and be careful. The fact that Ianto and I didn't see it again doesn't mean we aren't going to encounter it at all on the way back to the SUV. In other words, stay focused and watch out for it. It would be a good idea if we don't go back to the SUV the same way we came here, too. Everyone agree with that?" The rest of the team nods. "Okay, then let's go." Jack concludes.

While the team is carefully making its way through the various alleyways in order to return to the SUV, Martha sees a body lying on its side on the pavement.

After checking to make sure her colleagues are close enough so she doesn't have to yell, Martha calls, Jack, guys, come here! I found someone." The other four come running, Jack in the lead.

When he reaches her, Jack asks, "You said you found someone?"

"Yeah." Martha replies, nodding.

"Possibly a witness?" Jack wonders aloud.

"Depends on what shape they're in." the young doctor answers. Turning to Gwen, Martha asks, "Gwen, would you hand me the torch?"

"Sure." Gwen says, giving it to her.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem."

Crouching down, Martha says, "Okay, looks like we have a white male, probably mid-thirties, and it seems he was attacked by our creature."

"Good start. What else? Is he injured? Alive, dead?" Jack inquires.

Moving the flashlight along the length of the body, Martha says, "He's seriously wounded: lots of deep cuts, mostly on his arms, back, and chest, probably from claws or teeth; it looks like he hasn't had anything substantial to eat for a couple of days, and he might be a little dehydrated. In other words, he's in pretty bad shape."

"How bad?" Jack asks concernedly.

"Let me see." Martha replies. Holding the flashlight with one hand, she reaches down with the other and takes the man's pulse. After a minute, Martha takes her fingers off the side of his neck, and whistling with relief, comments, "We got to him just in time. His pulse is faint, but it's there."

"Can we get him to the Hub in time to save him?" Jack asks.

"Yeah, if we bring the car over here and drive fast enough to get back into the main part of town in half an hour or less."

Nodding, Jack answers, "We can do that. I'll go get the SUV." He then turns to Ianto and asks, "Will you cover me, just in case our nightmare creature from hell decides to try and pick us off again?"

"I'd be glad to." Ianto replies.

"Okay, come on." Jack says. Before the pair starts off, he glances at the others and says, "We'll be back as quick as we can." Martha nods, and the two men go off to retrieve the SUV.

"Anything we can do to help?" Gwen asks.

"Well, some of his wounds are fresh, so if there's a way we can slow the bleeding until Jack and Ianto come back, that would be good."

"We'd better hope they get back soon, then, because none of us has anything that would work."

"_We_ don't, no, but _he_ does." Mickey remarks.

"What do you mean?" Gwen asks, confused.

"His clothes, of course." The young man replies.

"He needs them to keep warm or something, though, doesn't he?" Gwen says. She then looks down at Martha and asks, "Martha, you're the doctor. What do _you _think?"

"Both of you are right, but he could easily die while we're waiting. He's lost a lot of blood as it is. Anymore, and he could be done for, so I think it would be best to take Mickey's suggestion."

"Alright." Gwen answers, nodding. "So, what should we use?"

"His shirt, I think." Martha replies.

"His shirt?"

"Yeah. The thing is in tatters anyway, so it isn't really doing him much good."

"True." Gwen agrees. "So, are we going to use strips of it on all those wounds, or just some of them?"

"Just on the ones bleeding the most." Martha answers.

"Got it." Gwen says understandingly.

"I need to turn him over onto his back before we can do anything." Martha explains. Gwen nods slightly and takes a few steps back so Martha has plenty of room to work. When Gwen is out of the way enough, Martha carefully rolls the man onto his back. "There, now let's get to work." The young doctor declares. Gwen and Mickey both crouch down, one on either side of the man. While Martha holds the flashlight, the pair sets to making crude bandages out of the remains of the man's shirt. The parts of his body where tourniquets are feasible are dressed in that manner, with some instruction by Martha; everywhere else, pressure to slow the bleeding is applied, or parts of the shirt covering any wounds are allowed to remain and soak up oozing blood.

Five anguishing minutes later, Jack and Ianto return in the SUV. As he gets out of the driver's side, Jack asks Martha, "How's he doing?"

Martha checks the man's pulse again, then answers, "He's still with us, amazingly enough, and there doesn't seem to be any change for the worse in his pulse."

"Sounds like he's a fighter, that's good." Jack comments. Martha nods in response. "He doesn't have much protection form the elements, though, especially not his upper body."

"Yeah. Some of that was our doing, though." Martha admits. "Some of his wounds were recent and still bleeding significantly, so I thought it would be better to put him at risk of exposure, rather than let him bleed to death."

"That was probably a good call." Jack responds, nodding. "I'll tell you what: Let's cover him with my coat and move him into the SUV that way."

Martha, surprised at Jack's suggestion, asks, "Are you sure? It might get stained."

"No problem. It can easily be washed." He says, shrugging. "A few stains don't really matter when a man's life is hanging by a thread."

"Totally agree with you." Martha answers, nodding.

"I figured you would." Jack replies, removing his coat and _personally_ draping it over the unknown man's body. "Are we ready to go?" the Torchwood leader adds. The others nod, then he says, "Okay. Ianto, Mickey, how about you two carry him over to the SUV." The two youngest team members nod, and the younger of the pair joins his colleague near the body. One positions himself at the man's head, and the other chooses the feet. "Gwen, Martha, I want the two of you to get in the backseat and keep him from being jostled around during the drive back to the Hub." Jack instructs.

"Do you want us to get in the car now?" Gwen asks.

"Mmmm…, no. Wait until Mickey and Ianto bring him over."

"Gotcha." Gwen answers. A minute or two later, under the watchful eye of Martha, Mickey and Ianto carry the man to the SUV. The two women then take a seat in the back and wait for further instructions.

Before the three men get into the vehicle, Jack asks Mickey and Ianto, "Which of you would rather sit in the back with Gwen, Martha, and our victim?"

"I will." Ianto volunteers.

"Are you sure?" Jack asks, the look of slight concern on his face giving away his worry that sitting with the body of a severely wounded person in his lap, Ianto's memories of Canary Wharf, the bloody body of his half-cyberized girlfriend, and the dying Tosh will come back with a vengeance and torture him, minimal though the effect may be.

"Yeah." The young Welshman replies, the expression on his face reassuring Jack that it won't happen.

"Okay, you've got it." Jack answers before returning to his place on the driver's side. Ianto and Mickey take their chosen seats in the SUV moments later. After the sound of fastening seatbelts and the engine starting, Jack slams on the gas, sending the vehicle speeding out of the virtually deserted neighborhood.

The team returns to the Hub in thirty minutes flat, Jack electing to park the SUV in back. He gets out first, and after opening the passenger door on Martha's side of the vehicle, instructs her to check the stranger's pulse once more. "So, what's the report?" Jack asks after giving Martha ample time to do the task.

"He's still hanging in there." She answers.

"Man, the guy is _tough_!" Jack exclaims, shaking his head in awe.

Shrugging, Martha replies, "There are few things in this world stronger than the will to survive."

"True." Jack agrees, nodding. "Anything more?"

"Yeah, one other thing. Not only does he still have a pulse, but it's gotten a bit stronger since I last checked it."

"_Really_?" Martha nods." That's interesting. I wonder what it is he feels he has to stick around for?" Jack muses.

"I haven't got a clue, but whatever it is, it's what's giving him the determination to stay alive."

"Mmhmmm…" After a brief pause, the Torchwood leader says, "Well, we'd better get him inside." Martha nods. Jack notices Ianto following Gwen out of the vehicle and asks him, "Ianto, is there something inside we might be able to use as a stretcher?"

"Probably, but it's going to take time to find it, and I'd guess that's something we don't have." The young Welshman answers. He looks across the way at Martha, still in the same spot, and asks, "Right?" the young woman nods.

"Probably, but it's going to take time to find it, and I'd guess that's something we don't have." The young Welshman answers. He looks across the way at Martha, still in the same spot, and asks, "Right?" the young woman nods.

"Good point, I didn't think of that." Jack admits. "We'll need to carry him in, then. Ianto, are you still up to doing that?"

"Yeah." He answers, nodding. "How do you want us to be positioned?"

"I'll take his head, shoulders, and upper back. You can take his feet and legs."

"Oh, you're going to help me carry him, rather than Mickey?"

Nodding, Jack replies, "Yeah. He's got a computer to carry, I don't have a thing."

"That's true." Ianto agrees.

"Are you ready?" Jack asks.

"Yeah, just let me get out of the way so you can grab him." The younger man says. He takes several steps back, then waits.

Leaning into the side of the vehicle where the man's upper body is within reach, Jack grabs him under the arms and gently drags him off the seat, lifting him just before the upper section of his body reaches the end of it. Within seconds of Jack doing so, Ianto is at the ready, waiting to take hold of the man's lower body. Once it is within reach, Ianto grabs it.

"Do you have a good grip on him?" Jack asks, looking across the way at Ianto.

"Yep." He answers.

"Okay, let's take him in." Jack says. Ianto nods, and with Martha walking alongside to keep an eye on the man's condition, they carry him into the Hub. Once inside, the trio finds Mickey wheeling out a gurney.

"Gwen and I thought it would be good to have one ready so you two wouldn't have to carry him all the way into the medical lab." He explains.

Grinning, Jack says, "_This_ is why I love you guys. You're always thinking ahead and ready to work as a team." He pauses for a moment, which gives Gwen the chance to join them. Looking at her and Mickey, Jack then says, "Thanks for the help, guys."

"Sure." Mickey says, nodding.

"Yeah, no problem." Gwen adds, also nodding.

Looking from her and Mickey to Ianto, Jack says, "Shall we carry him over and put him down?" Ianto nods. The pair carries the unconscious, wounded stranger the rest of the distance, then Jack says, "Okay, now we have to lift him." Ianto nods again. "Ready, one, two, three!" The two men lift their burden without too much difficulty, then lay him down on the gurney, his back on its surface. "There we go." Jack says, picking up his coat, which had fallen on the floor while he and Ianto were putting the man down. "He's all yours, Martha."

"I'm on it." She assures him, walking quickly over. After Martha has reached the gurney and its occupant, Mickey obligingly starts pushing it in the direction of the medical lab, the young doctor walking alongside.

Looking away from the pair (whose figures had already begun shrinking, due to their rapid pace and the distance they'd covered because of it), Gwen asks Jack, "Anything more we need to do?"

"I don't think so, not tonight." He answers. "You can head home if you want."

"I think I will, after we finish dinner. Assuming there's food leftover, that is."

"I think there is." Jack says, nodding. Turning to Ianto, he asks, "Isn't there?"

"Yes, plenty." Ianto answers, giving a nod. "Shall we go upstairs?"

"Yeah, let's." Jack agrees, beginning to walk in the direction of the stairs. Ianto and Gwen quickly follow after him, each eventually taking up a position on either side of him.

Meanwhile, Martha, alone in the medical lab after Mickey's departure, is in the process of conducting a more thorough examination of her new patient. In the glaring light of the room, the direness of the man's condition and the ravages of his recent, so far mysterious experience are clearly obvious. He's pale and unshaven, his slate gray t-shirt is in ribbons, his chest, arms, and back are crisscrossed with cuts, some old and in the process of healing, others relatively fresh and still red, and he appears to be less than his normal weight. Had any of his colleagues in London been present, they would hardly have recognized him.

Looking at him with sad awe and shaking her head, Martha murmurs to herself, "My god, what on earth have you been through?" After carefully removing the remains of the man's shirt, Martha cleans and dresses his unhealed wounds. Following the completion of that, she starts two IV's: one for administering fluids to rehydrate him, and another to restore his electrolytes and enzymes. The young doctor tucks the blanket Mickey had provided earlier further around the man's body to keep him warm. Before leaving to join the others and finish eating, Martha bends down and quietly whispers in the man's ear, "I don't know what it is you want to resolve so badly that you're willing yourself to live, but it's obviously important to you, so keep hanging in there." With those words of encouragement, and after putting away her lab coat, Martha departs to join the others.


	2. Chapter 2

Two and a half days pass with the rescued man hovering precariously between life and death. On the afternoon of the third day, during a team discussion of what to have for a late lunch, he wakes up.

Glancing up at the video monitor in the room during a momentary lull in conversation, Jack remarks, "Martha, it looks like your patient is awake."

She follows his gaze up to the screen, then replies, "He sure is. Guess I'd better check on him and get what information I can. I'll be right back."

As Martha gets out of her chair, Jack says, "Yep. Don't press him _too much_ though. He's probably still in a pretty fragile condition."

Smiling indulgently, she replies, "Who's the doctor here?"

With a grin and a chuckle, Jack answers, "I know, I know, but I had to say it. You know how much I like to needle you guys."

Still smiling, Martha says, "I do, but that doesn't make you any less of a rascal, Jack Harkness."

Grinning at her again, he replies, "Yeah, but you love me anyway, and you know it."

Smiling amusedly and shaking her head, Martha answers, "I've gotta go check on our eyewitness." With that, she pushes in her chair and heads in the direction of the medical lab, leaving the others to decide on lunch.

When she arrives in the room ten minutes later, Martha finds the man sitting up, looking around him in bewilderment. Upon seeing her, he asks huskily, "Where am I?"

"In the med lab of Torchwood Three's base, in Cardiff." Martha answers.

"What year?" the man continues, his voice slightly stronger.

"2009." Martha informs him.

"Oh, thank god." He says, briefly closing his eyes in relief. "How did I get here?"

"My colleagues and I found you in an alley about, oh, three and a half days ago." Martha explains. Following that description, the man's most recent memories, foggy up to that point, finally come back to him, and he silently expresses gratitude for his amazingly good luck. In the meantime, Martha, seeing he has seemingly recovered from his initial grogginess and confusion, resumes her questioning. "How are you feeling?" she asks considerately.

After a short, somewhat bitter laugh, the man, a Londoner, Martha guesses by his accent, says, "Like my front and back have been torn to ribbons."

"They have, actually." Martha tells him.

The man glances down at his bandaged chest, then remarks, "So they have."

"Other than that, how are you?" Martha asks him.

"Fine." He answers agreeably.

"Good. Okay, I need to know some personal information. Name, date of birth, that sort of thing, alright?" The man nods. "Okay, first, what's your full name?" Martha resumes, following a brief pause.

"Stephen James Hart." He answers.

Okay, age?"

"Thirty-two." Stephen says.

"Alright. Date of birth? Just the year is fine." Martha continues.

"1976."

"Okay, uh, place of birth?"

"London."

"Place of residence?" Martha asks.

"The same." Stephen answers.

"Alright. And finally, what do you do?" Stephen remains silent, uncertain about how prudent it would be to share information about the ARC. Noticing his consternation, Martha says, "Nothing you tell me is going to leave this building, I promise."

Reassured, Stephen willingly answers her question. "I work for the Anomaly Research Center in London as a field operative." After a brief pause, he adds, "Well, _worked_, since I'm supposed to be deceased."

Raising her eyebrows in surprise, Martha replies, "_Really_?" Stephen nods. "You look pretty lively to me."

Smiling slightly and giving another short laugh, more pleasant than bitter this time, Stephen answers, "It's…kind of hard to explain."

"You'd be surprised at how many weird explanations for things make sense to me." Martha remarks blandly. "But we can talk about what you mean later." She continues. "There are more important things to discuss right now, like what your body can handle, food-wise."

"I think anything'll be fine, but you're the professional, so whatever you think." Stephen offers politely, shrugging.

Martha ponders for awhile, then tells him, "As long as the meal's light and you don't eat too quickly, you should be fine. The question is, are you _hungry_?"

"Definitely a yes to that." Stephen answers decisively.

"I thought as much, but I wanted to make sure." Martha takes a few minutes to check his vitals and determine if it's safe to stop the IV's. She reaches the conclusion that it _is_, and says, "It looks like you're back to normal chemically, so I'm going to remove these IV's, alright?" Stephen nods understandingly. "Okay, hold still for a bit." Martha instructs him gently. Stephen does so, and a couple of minutes later, the young doctor informs him, "There we go, all finished. Are you alright?" she asks.

"So far." Stephen answers, shaking out his arms to get feeling back into them, then stretching slowly to do the same throughout the rest of his body.

"Good, then I'll go tell the others someone else'll be joining us for lunch. While I'm doing that and Ianto's picking up the food, you can get cleaned up a bit." Martha suggests.

"Sounds good to me." Stephen says, removing the blanket, then slowly readjusting his position so he's sitting near the edge of the gurney.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Martha assures him as she takes off her lab coat and hangs it up.

"One thing before you go." Stephen says as Martha starts in the direction of the door.

Hearing him, she turns around and asks, "Yeah? What's up?"

"I…never got your name." Stephen answers with slight nervousness.

Martha walks back over to him, then smiling slightly and holding out her hand, says, "Sorry. I'm Dr. Martha Jones."

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Jones. And thank you." Stephen replies, shaking her hand.

"You too, and you can just call me Martha." She says.

"Alright." Stephen answers pleasantly. "Thank you for helping me, Martha."

"You're welcome, Stephen." She replies, smiling at him briefly. "Is it alright if I call you that?" she asks politely.

"I don't see why not." He answers, shrugging.

"Alright, then I will." Martha says, smiling at him again. "Do you need anything else before I go?"

"No, not right now." Stephen replies, shaking his head. "Thanks though."

"Sure." Martha says. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Stephen nods. With that, Martha turns away and heads out the door to share what she had just learned with the others.

Ten minutes later, she returns to the room where Jack, Ianto, Gwen, and Mickey are waiting. Looking up as Martha comes in, Jack asks, "So, what did you find out?"

"His name is Stephen James Hart, he's thirty-two, was born and raised in London, where he still lives, and he works in this place called the "Anomaly Research Center" as a field operative. I'm guessing it's the headquarters of some sort of organization, possibly a governmental one."

"Sounds like." Jack agrees, nodding. "_I_'_ve_ never heard of it, though." Looking over at Ianto, he asks, "Ianto, have you?"

"Shaking his head, Ianto answers, "No, but I can look into it, if you'd like."

"Yeah, that would be great, thanks." Jack says.

"No problem." Ianto replies.

Looking back at Martha, Jack asks, "Did you find out anything else about Mr. Hart?"

"Yeah, but it was kind of an odd bit of information." Martha answers.

"Odd? How?" Jack inquires.

"Apparently, he's supposed to be dead."

"_Dead_?" Jack exclaims. Martha nods. "How long ago was he supposed to have died?"

"He didn't give me any specific number of years, but said he was born in 1976, so I'd guess his death was entered into public record pretty recently. In the past several months or so, maybe." Martha answers.

"That _is_ odd." Jack remarks. "Did he tell you why he was alive even though the public record says otherwise?"

"No, he didn't give me any details. He just said the reason for it would be kind of hard to explain."

"Interesting." Jack comments, briefly leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. He then looks over at Gwen, sitting to his right, and says, "Gwen, if you'd look through London's records of obituaries, deaths, funeral services, and funeral announcements for any mentions of a Stephen James Hart in his thirties, that would be really helpful."

"I'd be glad to." Gwen answers. "Where would you like me to start?"

Jack looks up at Martha and says, "Martha?"

"Start with records from September of last year and go all the way to the most recent ones from this year." She suggests. "You'll probably find him listed in those somewhere."

"Got it." Gwen says agreeably, nodding. She then looks over at Jack and asks, "Do you want me to start on that now?"

"Nah." Jack answers. "We'll eat first, _then_ get back to work."

"Okay, fine with me." Gwen says with a nod.

Looking back up at Martha, Jack asks, "How's our witness's physical condition?"

"Except for his injuries, he seems to be in pretty good shape. He was sitting up when I came in, and except for a little initial confusion when I first started talking to him, he's perfectly lucid." Martha answers.

"Good." Jack says approvingly. "What about requests? Did he ask for anything? What does he need?"

"He didn't ask for anything _specifically_, just said he was hungry. As for what he _needs_, clothes, for one thing, shirts in particular. The trousers he was wearing when we found him are still intact, they just need to be washed."

"Okay." Jack says with a nod. Looking over at Ianto, sitting to his left, he requests, "Ianto, do you think maybe you could take care of that while you're out picking up lunch?"

"Sure." Ianto replies, nodding.

"Great." Turning back to Martha, Jack asks, "What else?"

"Unless his wallet is in one of his trouser pockets, he'll need a new ID and license, and some cash." Jack nods in agreement. "Let's see, what else?" Martha pauses in thought for awhile, then says, "I think that's it."

"Nothing we can't help him with, then, good." Jack observes. "About him eating." Martha nods. "I'm guessing you mentioned at some point that we were about to have lunch?" Martha nods again. "Good. Did he seem to have any problem with eating with us?"

"Nope. That was the other thing I wanted to tell you- he'll probably be joining us for lunch." Martha answers.

"Then it's all settled, great." Jack remarks. "Any guidelines for what he can and can't handle, so we don't contribute to him getting sick or dying right after we've saved his life?"

"None except that whatever he has should be relatively light. The IV solutions he's been on until this afternoon have stabilized him chemically and corrected any effects of dehydration and malnourishment his body may have been subjected to, but we still need to keep an eye on him." Martha explains.

"Got it." Jack responds understandingly. "Anything more?" he asks.

"No, that's it." The young medical officer tells him.

"Okay. Are you heading back to the med lab to check on him?" Martha nods. Looking again at Ianto, Jack says, "Ianto, would you go with her and help Mr. Hart with the things we just talked about?"

"Sure." The young Welshman answers, getting out of his chair.

"Thanks." Jack says, gently pulling Ianto's face down closer to his own and kissing him on the cheek. That gesture of affection concluded, Jack releases Ianto's face from his grasp and lets his young lover continue on his way, watching him as he and Martha go out the door. Once they've gone, Jack looks over at Gwen and says, "That inquiry I asked you to make?" Gwen nods. "How about you do start on it."

"Sure, no problem." Gwen answers.

"Great. Mickey and I will help you out." Jack says in return. "If you're up to it, that is." He adds, looking briefly at Mickey, sitting across from him.

"Sure I am." The younger man says, nodding. "Let's go get to work." He adds with slight eagerness as he gets up and pushes in his chair. Jack and Gwen do the same immediately after him, then the trio goes off to start the information gathering Jack had requested moments earlier.

Downstairs, meanwhile, Martha and Ianto have returned to the medical exam room. They walk in side by side, then Martha asks Stephen, "Are you still feeling alright?"

"Yeah, thanks." He answers graciously, nodding.

"Good, I'm glad." Martha pauses for a moment, then looks from Stephen to Ianto and back, saying, "Stephen, this is Ianto Jones."

"Hi there." Stephen says, standing up and holding out a hand when Ianto reaches him.

"How do you do, Mr. Hart." Ianto says politely, shaking Stephen's hand.

The two men having finished greeting each other, Martha resumes. "Ianto's going to help you get settled, so anything you need, just ask him, okay?" she says to Stephen, who nods in response. "Alright. Before I go, I'm going to remove your bandages so they don't get spoiled when you're bathing, okay?" Stephen nods again. "Alright, here we go." Martha says. She removes the dressings on his chest first and sets the bandages aside, then after looking over the wounds carefully, asks, "Are you okay? Any pain during that?"

"No, no pain. I'm good so far." Stephen answers.

"Good. Now for the back." Moving in back of the thirty-two year old Londoner, Martha completes the same process. When she has finished, she tells him, "Okay, all finished. Are you alright?" Stephen nods. "Glad to hear it." Martha continues, as she puts her lab coat back on the hook. After washing her hands and drying them, she asks, "Is there anything I can do before I go back upstairs?"

Stephen thinks for a couple of minutes, then answers, "No, nothing comes to mind."

"Alright, then I'll leave you two to take care of things. I'll see you both upstairs in a little while, yeah?" Both men nod. "Okay, later." Martha tells them in a friendly manner as she walks out. The pair responds in kind with a 'Later.' Of their own, answering her at the same time.

When Martha has gone, Ianto looks at Stephen and says, "Martha told me you wanted to get cleaned up before lunch?"

"Yeah." Stephen answers, nodding. "I'm guessing I'll need a hotel room before I can do that, though?" he asks.

"No, not at all." The younger man answers. "Our leader sort of lives here, so just about everything he'd have in a flat is somewhere in the building. If you think you're strong enough to make it up a flight of stairs, I can show you where you'll at least be able to shower."

"I think as long as I take it slow, I'll be fine." Stephen reasons.

Ianto nods in agreement. "Ready to go?" he asks.

"Yeah." Stephen answers, beginning to get up. Ianto stands alert close by, ready to give him assistance if necessary.

Once Stephen is standing up completely, Ianto asks him, "Are you doing alright? Feeling weak at all?"

"Not so far." Stephen answers.

"That's good." Ianto says, smiling slightly. After Stephen has reached him, Ianto asks, "Still doing alright?"

"Yeah." Stephen replies, nodding.

"Alright, come on then." The young Welshman says after going over to the gurney, quickly taking the blanket off it, and draping it over Stephen's bare upper body. The two men then walk out of the medical exam room in the direction of the stairs, reaching them five minutes later. When they stop, Ianto again asks Stephen how he's feeling, and he gives the same answer as before. With that, the pair begins their ascent of the stairs, Ianto walking beside Stephen and glancing at him occasionally to see how he is faring. As soon as Ianto observes any sign of tiredness or weakness, he takes hold of the other man's left arm to help him stay on his feet.

Unaccompanied and carrying a pair of wadded up jeans, Ianto returns from the direction of Jack's quarters ten minutes later.

As Ianto passes the control room, Jack pokes his head out the doorway and asks, "How is he?"

"He seems to be recovering well." Ianto answers. "He started getting tired out about halfway up the stairs, but was fine after he rested for a bit. I just came from leaving him in the loo to clean up before we eat."

"That's good to know." Jack says, nodding. "You didn't ask if he still had his wallet on him by chance, did you?" Jack asks, noticing the article of clothing Ianto has in his arms.

"I did actually." He answers. "Before he took these off, he pulled it out of one of the side pockets and showed it to me." The young Welshman explains, glancing down briefly at the bundle in his arms.

"So he _does_ still have it?" Jack asks for confirmation. Ianto nods. "Good. Everything still in it? License, ID, the works?"

"Yes, everything but money." Ianto replies, nodding again.

"Good. That'll make things a bit easier for us." Jack muses. "Heading out to pick up lunch now?" he asks after a moment's pause.

"Yep. I'll be back in about an hour or so." Ianto answers, smiling and nodding.

"Okay, I'll see you soon." Jack says, leaning out and kissing his young lover lightly on the cheek.

"Yep." Ianto replies, after which he draws a bit closer to Jack and does much the same thing in return, the only difference being that he kisses the older man on the mouth, rather than the cheek. Following that, Ianto continues on his way, and Jack goes back into the control room to assist Gwen, Martha, and Mickey in finding records of Stephen's funeral or obituaries announcing his death.

An hour and a half later, carrying a box of take out Chinese in one hand and a paper shopping bag with two days' worth of new clothes in the other, Ianto returns. For a short time, he ponders over whether to leave the food downstairs or bring it up. He eventually chooses to do the former after a couple of minutes. He puts the box in one of the many rooms downstairs they often use as a place to eat, then heads upstairs and to Jack's quarters, arriving there after ten minutes. Following that, he climbs down the ladder into the room and sits on the bed, where he takes out these items— a plain long sleeved shirt, a plain t-shirt, two pairs of boxers, two pairs of socks, and one pair of jeans— and lays them out on the bed. Having emptied the bag of everything but a light tan nylon jacket, Ianto gets off the bed and goes back up the ladder to return to the main area of the upstairs section of the Hub, after which he makes his way to the control room to join Jack, Gwen, Martha, and Mickey.

As he enters the room five minutes later, Ianto asks his fellow team members, "Any luck finding announcements of Mr. Hart's death or funeral?"

"Yeah, lots actually." Jack answers. "It took awhile, but we were able to get a record of both, if you wanna take a look."

"I think I will." Ianto replies, walking over to the computer with the information onscreen. When Ianto gets there, Jack moves out of the way slightly so the young Welshman can see the screen.

Eight and a half minutes later, Stephen, showered and dressed but not shaved, passes by looking for Ianto. When he passes the doorway, he glances into the room. Upon seeing the Torchwood team gathered around a computer, the thirty-two year old Londoner politely clears his throat to get their attention. Jack is the first individual to hear him, followed by Ianto.

"Stephen?" Jack asks, a friendly, slight smile crossing his face.

"Yeah." He answers, nodding.

"I figured." Jack says in response. "Come on in." he invites with a smile and a friendly gesture of his hand.

"Thanks." Stephen replies, walking in.

"No problem." Jack says in return, nodding slightly. When Stephen gets to the middle of the room, Jack meets him there. "Captain Jack Harkness. You can just call me Jack." He informs Stephen, holding out a hand.

"Nice to meet you, Jack." Stephen answers, shaking the Torchwood leader's offered hand.

"You too, Stephen." Jack answers. "Now for the rest of the team." He says. Glancing at Ianto and Martha, Jack continues, "Ianto and Martha you've met already." Stephen nods and looks at each in turn, Ianto first.

When Stephen acknowledges him, again with a nod, Ianto asks, "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks." The other man answers.

"Good. I can take care of that for you if you'd like." Ianto says, glancing at the towel Stephen has draped around his neck.

"That'd be great, thanks." He replies, taking it off, folding it more neatly, then handing it over.

"Sure." The younger man answers, taking it from him. Stephen then looks over at Martha and gives her a polite nod.

In response, she asks him, "Are you doing alright?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks, Martha.

"You're welcome, Stephen." She replies.

Once Stephen has finished greeting each of them, Jack proceeds to introduce him to Gwen and Mickey. Looking at Mickey, standing behind and to the left of him, Jack says, "This is Mickey Smith."

"Good to meet you, Mickey." Stephen says, as the young man comes from behind Jack and holds out a hand.

"You too, mate." Mickey replies.

When the two men finish their exchange, Jack introduces Gwen. "And this is Gwen Cooper." He says, as she comes from behind him.

"Hi, Stephen. Nice to meet you." Gwen says, offering a hand.

"You too, Gwen." Stephen replies, shaking her hand.

When the pair has concluded their greeting, Jack suggests, "Now that we all know each other, how about we go downstairs and eat?"

"Sounds good to me." Stephen agrees.

"I thought it would." Jack says, smiling. "What about the rest of you guys? What do you say?" The other four members of the team nod. "Okay, then let's go." Everyone in the room starts walking toward the door, Ianto and Martha staying close to Stephen in case he needs any assistance during the walk.

Ten minutes later, as the group comes close to the bottom of the stairs, Martha glances at Stephen and informs him, "Before we sit down to eat, I need to examine your wounds and see if they need to be re-dressed, okay?"

"Okay." Stephen says with a nod. After the group has cleared the remaining stairs, Stephen turns to Martha and inquires, "To the exam room?"

"Yep, come on." Martha answers. Stephen promptly falls in behind her, and the pair heads off to the medical lab. They get there ten minutes later, and Stephen takes a seat on the edge of the gurney. While Martha puts her lab coat on, Stephen gingerly and carefully takes off the white t-shirt he had put on earlier, then sets it aside next to him.

Before she starts her examination of him, Martha asks, "Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, just fine, thanks." Stephen answers graciously.

"I'm glad to hear it." Martha replies with a smile. "Ready for me to start looking you over?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Stephen answers, nodding.

"Alright, hold still." Martha says in return. Starting with Stephen's back, Martha carefully looks over his wounds, occasionally asking him questions about things like how much pain he's in.

When Martha finishes her examination of him a few minutes later, Stephen asks, "So how do things look? Will I need to be in bandages another day, or are the cuts starting to close up?"

"They're sort of red, probably from soap and scrubbing, but other than that, they're fine. I think it's safe to leave them uncovered from now on." Martha explains.

"Great." Stephen says as he glances down to the left and grabs the t-shirt lying beside him. He flinches slightly as the material rubs against the uppermost wounds on his chest and back, but otherwise shows no signs of discomfort.

"You okay?" Martha asks with slight concern.

"Yeah. I'm just a bit tender in some places." Stephen answers.

Nodding knowingly, the young doctor says, "You will be for at least a couple of days. The thing that attacked you left some pretty nasty wounds on you."

"No kidding." The thirty-two year old London resident remarks wryly, sliding slowly off the gurney and back onto his feet. He catches a glimpse of himself reflected in the bulb of one of the large examination lamps in the room, and to Martha's mild amusement, brushes his hand through his still damp hair to smooth down some strands of it sticking up on the top of his head.

After concealing the small, amused smile that had crossed her face upon seeing such a fastidious gesture from the somewhat older man, Martha asks, "Ready to go join the others for lunch?"

"Yeah." Stephen answers.

"Okay, then let's go." With a slight nod, Stephen again falls in behind Martha, and they start out the door. When the pair has found the room the others are in, they have already begun eating. Martha takes a seat in between Mickey and Gwen, and Stephen sits down next to Ianto and across from Gwen.

Once both have settled comfortably in their chairs, Jack, pushing the box of take out containers toward Martha, says, "How about you serve yourself first, so you can make sure everything here is okay for Stephen to have."

"Okay." Martha answers, shrugging. As she puts portions of the dishes on her plate, she looks at what she's getting and makes a mental note about the appropriateness of each. When she has finished serving herself, Martha says, "Everything's fine for Stephen to have." Looking across the table at Ianto, she adds, "Good choice in dishes."

"Thank you." Ianto replies, smiling proudly. "But I didn't choose _all_ of them. Everyone of us picked a dish."

"Well then, good job _everybody_." Martha says with a smile. Looking at Stephen and pushing the box toward him, she invites, "Okay Stephen, take your pick."

"Thanks." He answers, reaching toward the box and grabbing it. He serves himself a moderate sized portion of each dish, then begins eating with great gusto.

Except for intermittent conversation, mostly among the team members, the meal proceeds, then concludes, in silence.

Noticing Stephen has finished, Jack, smiling, says, "Feeling better?"

"Much, thanks." He answers, nodding and putting his napkin aside.

"I'm glad to hear it." The Torchwood leader responds. Looking at Ianto, sitting to his right, Jack asks, "Did you already arrange someplace for Stephen here to stay?"

"Yes I did, on my way back here." Ianto answers with a slight nod.

"Thanks!" Stephen says with gratitude. "How much was it? I wanna know so I can pay you back once I get settled."

"Don't worry about it." Jack tells him, holding up a hand. "We have enough funds in our organization's account to more than cover it. One of the perks of being supported by the crown."

"_That_'s who provides money for you?" Stephen asks with amazement. Jack nods. "Wow, that must be nice!"

Nodding and smiling slightly, Jack answers, "It is." Moving on to another subject, he says, "You must be exhausted and about ready to turn in."

"Pretty close." Stephen agrees, nodding.

"I thought as much." Jack says. "Since Ianto's already made arrangements for you, do you want to go ahead and check in?"

Stephen thinks for a moment, then nodding, replies, "Yeah, I think I will."

"Okay. Do you have anything you need to get before you go?"

"Yeah, there are still some clothes upstairs in your living quarters." Stephen looks over at Ianto briefly and says, "Thanks for getting all that, by the way."

Smiling appreciatively, the young Welshman answers, "You're welcome. Couldn't very well have you walking around virtually clothes-less now, could we?"

Stephen chuckles slightly and answers, "No, definitely not."

After a brief pause, Ianto asks him, "Can you find your way back to Jack's quarters on your own, or would you like me to show you the way?"

"No, I think I can manage. Thanks for offering, though." Stephen answers.

"You're welcome." Ianto says pleasantly, nodding.

"Okay, I'll be right back." The other man says, starting to turn away. Ianto nods again, and Stephen starts off in the direction he had come from earlier. Moments after his departure, Ianto, with the help of Jack and the others, begins clearing the after-lunch mess.

While the Torchwood team is busying itself with that task, Stephen is continuing his walk to Jack's sleeping quarters. As he goes along, he takes a look at his surroundings, which he hadn't thought to do until now, so focused had he been on how hungry he was and the pain he had been in. With the former satisfied and the latter seemingly lessening by the moment, he is beginning to feel more like himself, allowing his interest and focus to go elsewhere. What grabs Stephen's attention first as he looks around is the sheer size of the facility. He guesses that it has several floors and covers a large area of its location. His last thought about it before he goes down the ladder into Jack's quarters is to wonder just what it is the Torchwood team _does_.

After reaching the open hatch, Stephen rests for a couple of minutes. Once he feels rejuvenated enough to continue, he goes slowly down the ladder and into the room. As he steps off the last rung of the ladder, Stephen flinches just a little when the bump from the impact of his feet touching the floor radiates up and down his spine, aggravating the dull ache of his cuts. He waits for the feeling to pass, then makes his way over to the bed. When he reaches it, Stephen first takes the jacket out of the bag and sets it aside to put on later. Once that is done, Stephen sits down on the edge of the bed, thinking he will be most comfortable that way, and begins putting the remaining items in the now empty bag. He finishes doing so a few minutes later, and after slipping on his new jacket, grabs the bag and goes gingerly back up the ladder to the main floors of the Hub. He rests again for a couple of minutes, then continues on his way, returning to the former dining room ten minutes later.

As Stephen walks in, Ianto asks him, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, then follow me." Before the pair leaves, Stephen says goodbye to the rest of the team, Jack asking him to come back the following day to give an account of what happened, a request Stephen readily agrees to. All courtesies having been attended to, he and Ianto go on their way.

They arrive downstairs in the Tourist Office fifteen minutes later. Before they go out the door to the SUV, Ianto hands Stephen a map, saying, "You'll need this to find your way here tomorrow. It lists bus routes and phone numbers for cab companies, as well."

"Great, thanks." Stephen answers.

"You're welcome." The younger man says, smiling briefly. "Shall we be off?"

"Yeah." Stephen says in return, nodding. With that, the two men head out the door. Five minutes later, they are in the SUV, driving to the hotel Stephen is supposed to be staying in. Ianto's suggestion that they stop at a bank results in them not arriving at the hotel until an hour and a half after their departure from the Hub, at six-thirty in the evening.

Ianto parks the SUV at the curb and leaves the engine running. Before Stephen gets out, Ianto asks him, "Would you like any help?"

"No thanks, I'm fine." Stephen answers graciously as he picks up the bag next to him on the floor. "Thanks for the ride." He continues, holding out a hand.

"Of course." Ianto says in return, shaking the offered hand. "See you in the morning?"

"Yep." Stephen answers, nodding.

"Alright. Have a good evening, Mr. Hart."

"You too." Stephen says in return, getting out of the SUV. The two men give one another a friendly wave, then Stephen heads into the hotel, and Ianto drives off.

When he gets inside, Stephen goes straight to the visitor services counter and rings the bell. Almost immediately, a woman appears behind it.

Smiling pleasantly, she asks, "Mr. Stephen Hart?"

"Yes, that's right." He answers, a slight tone of surprise audible in his voice.

Noticing it, the woman explains, "The person who arranged the reservation told me your name."

"_Oh_, I see." Stephen says understandingly, nodding.

"Give me a moment, and I'll get the key to your room, alright?"

"Alright." Stephen answers, again with a nod. The woman goes to the left side of the counter and begins opening drawers and looking through them, while Stephen, his left elbow propped up on the counter, waits patiently.

The hostess finds the room key after a few minutes. Handing it over, she says politely, "Here you go. Room 15."

"Thanks." Stephen answers graciously, taking it.

Smiling again, the hostess replies, "You're welcome. Have a good night, Mr. Hart."

"Thank you. You too." Stephen says, smiling briefly. Following that, he picks up the bag, which he had set down on the floor when he had reached the counter, and sets off in the direction of the rooms.

Stephen arrives at his room ten minutes later. After unlocking it and switching on the light, he closes the door behind him. Surveying the room, Stephen sees two single beds, one on the left side of it, and one on the right. In between them is a small nightstand with a lamp on top of it. Stephen chooses the bed on the right side of the room, and after dropping the key onto the nightstand, places the bag on top of the bed, where he begins emptying it. Five minutes later, he is finished. While looking for someplace to put the clothes, he takes an opportunity to check out the rest of the room. Besides the two beds, nightstand, and lamp, there is a medium-sized desk against the wall facing toward the beds, a small table with a packet of information on top of it, near the one window in the room, and a good size closet across from the suite's bathroom. After some thought, Stephen chooses to put his clothes in the closet. As he gets nearer, he notices that the sink and counter are split off from the toilet and shower. Instead, the structure is built into the wall to the right of the closet. A large-sized, rectangular mirror is also installed above the counter and sink. The structure has the usual items found in the rooms of ordinary, but comfortable, hotels: samples of soap and shampoo, personal drinking cups, and towels. After noting the area's appearance, Stephen begins putting his clothes away. He hangs up the shirt and remaining pair of jeans, and puts everything else on a chest-high shelf built into the closet.

On his way back to the bed, Stephen glances at the clock above the desk. Noting that the time is seven-fifteen, he decides to eat something more before settling in for the night. Having made the decision, he walks over to the table and picks up the information packet, after which he goes back to the bed and sits on the edge of it. After spending only a couple of minutes leafing through the packet, Stephen puts it back on the table, having read that there is a restaurant on the hotel's premises. Electing to eat there for convenience's sake, Stephen picks up his room key and goes out the door, locking it behind him.

He gets to the restaurant after a fifteen-minute walk, and after being seated, looks over the menu. Keeping Martha's earlier recommendations in mind, Stephen eventually decides on a light meal: a warm half sandwich and a bowl of soup. He eats the small meal leisurely, taking forty-five minutes to finish it. After paying his tab, Stephen decides to get any necessary items that Ianto didn't have a chance to purchase when he picked up lunch earlier in the day. Following thirty-five minutes of exploring the hotel, Stephen finds what he is looking for: a small, combination thrift and gift store. He goes inside, and twenty minutes later, comes back out, carrying a small plastic bag with toiletries and other necessities, including a razor, in it. Another twenty minutes later, Stephen gets back to his room. Once he is inside and has locked the door, Stephen empties the bag, placing everything on the counter next to the bathroom. Having done that, he turns down his bed, strips to the waist, and gets under the covers. Fifteen minutes after switching off the light, he is sound asleep.

Around the same time, upstairs in the Torchwood Hub, Ianto is sitting in front of a computer screen, reading the small amount of information he had been able to find about the ARC. When he feels the gentle weight of hands on his shoulders, he looks up.

"Find anything about this "Anomaly Research Center" Mr. Hart told Martha he worked for?" Jack asks, looking down at Ianto.

"It took some considerable digging, but yes, I did." He answers.

"Yeah?" Jack says. Ianto nods. "What is it?"

Once Jack has readjusted his position so he can see the screen, Ianto continues, scrolling down the page as he paraphrases what is written on it. "It's a government organization, just like Martha guessed." Jack nods, and Ianto resumes. "Its purpose is to investigate unusual phenomena and sightings of strange creatures in the United Kingdom as a whole, but chiefly in London."

"Huh. Sounds a lot like what we do." Jack remarks. Ianto nods in agreement. "Anything more? List of personnel, address, contact information, things like that?"

Shaking his head, Ianto answers, "No. I've tried every trick I know, but I can't get past this page. Information about it, except for what's here, is _very_ well secured."

Chuckling briefly, Jack observes, "_Yet another thing_ we have in common with it- the people who run it like to keep its existence a secret." Becoming serious again, he says, "Good work, Ianto. We'll share it with everyone else tomorrow." Jack pauses for a moment, then asks gently, "About ready to quit for the night?"

Ianto yawns, then replies, nodding, "I am. But it's awfully early for you, isn't it?"

Shaking his head, Jack answers, "No, not tonight. It was a pretty slow day, so I didn't have a whole lot of work to do. Everything I _did_ need to do, I finished while you were hunting for information about Mr. Hart's workplace." After another pause, Jack asks, "So what do you say? Shall we turn in?"

"Alright." Ianto answers, smiling slightly. "Just let me shut this off, and we'll go."

"Okay." Jack answers, nodding and leaning on the edge of the desk, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Ianto shuts down the computer, then gets up and pushes in his chair. Jack, who had been watching him, then asks, "Ready?"

"Yes." The younger man replies, nodding.

"Okay, come on." Jack says, putting an arm around Ianto's shoulders, then kissing him lovingly on the cheek. The couple leaves the room that way, and walks off in the direction of the room with the Rift monitor and Jack's living quarters.

Ten minutes later, they are down in the room. Sitting on opposite sides of the bed, their backs to each other, the two men strip down to their underwear. After they have finished undressing, they get under the covers, Ianto first, followed by Jack. They kiss one another goodnight, and after snuggling into each other's arms, close their eyes and go to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The following morning, an hour after the team's arrival at the Hub, Mickey turns from his computer and says, "Jack, it looks like we have company."

With a cup of coffee in hand, Jack walks over. After he reaches Mickey's workstation, Jack answers, "Let's see."

Mickey zooms in on the figure standing outside the Tourist Office and says, "There you go." On the screen, the pair sees a tall, dark-haired man wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and jeans.

Jack takes a sip of his coffee, and upon getting a glimpse of the man's face, comments with more than just average interest, "Hmmm…, Who's _that_?"

Mickey, clearly hearing the mild attraction in Jack's voice, grins to himself with amusement for a moment, after which he suggests, "I _think_ that's our Mr. Hart."

"I think you're right." Jack agrees, nodding. "But let's check with Martha first, since she can probably identify our visitor most accurately."

"Sounds like a good idea." The younger man agrees.

Jack then turns around and calls, "Martha, can you come here for a minute?"

A couple of minutes later, she reaches them. "What's up?" she asks.

"We need you to ID a visitor waiting outside." Jack explains.

"I'll do my best."

Jack moves out of the way so Martha can get a good look at the screen, then asks, "Does that look like your patient from a couple of days ago? The man we rescued from outside the warehouse?"

Martha takes a couple of minutes to look at the screen, then replies, "Yeah, he does, mostly, but I'm not one hundred percent sure, since he looked quite different when we first brought him here."

"So you're not one hundred percent sure?" Jack confirms. Martha nods. "Okay, fair enough. So how sure _are_ you?"

"Ninety-seven, ninety-eight percent." She answers.

"So you're _very_ sure?" Martha nods. "And why's that?" Jack continues.

"The only person outside the five of us who knows we're based here and is familiar with that entrance is Gwen's husband, and that's definitely not him. It couldn't be anyone else but our Mr. Stephen Hart."

Jack nods in agreement, then says, "He looks good when he's cleaned up."

"Yes he does. He's quite the looker, too. If I were still single and saw him in a bar, I'd _definitely_ be interested."

"Alright you two, enough ogling." Gwen teases Jack and Martha as she reaches Mickey's workstation. "Who is he, anyway?"

"The guy we rescued a couple of days ago." Jack answers, indicating the screen with a jerk of his head.

"_Really_?" Gwen remarks, looking at it for a moment. Jack nods. "No wonder you're staring." Gwen says to him.

"Martha's the one who's been doing all the staring, not me." Jack replies.

"Of course she is." Gwen answers indulgently, smiling. "So are we planning to leave him out there all day to stare at, or are we going to let him in?"

"Hmmm…? Oh, no. Of course we aren't going to leave him standing out there for the whole day." Jack replies distractedly, having no doubt been interrupted from another period of staring at the man waiting outside. Looking over at Mickey, Jack says, "Go ahead and let him in."

"Got it." The younger man says, turning back to his computer. Following a few clicks and some keyboard strokes, the hatch unlocks and rolls open.

As they walk out in the direction of the stairs, Gwen looks over at Jack, and smiling, says teasingly, "What was that you were saying about _Martha_ being the one who kept looking at him?"

Caught, Jack answers with chagrin, "Okay, okay. Yeah, I think he's hot. Your point is?"

Chuckling, Gwen replies, "I thought so. Better not let Ianto hear you say that again, though."

"Hear him say what?" Ianto asks, appearing next to them unexpectedly. A look of embarrassment crosses both Jack and Gwen's faces, and they say not a word.

The two of them evidently preferring to keep quiet, and Mickey apparently of the same mind, Martha decides to answer Ianto's question herself. "That Mr. Hart is a _very_ attractive man." She says.

Smiling, and seemingly not bothered in the least, Ianto remarks, "Oh, is that all?"

"Yep, just Jack being Jack."

"Nothing wrong with that, then." The younger man replies, the smile still on his face. He then looks at Gwen and asks, "So, did they leave him waiting out there , or did they let him in right away?"

Smiling knowingly at him, she answers, "Which do you think?"

Nodding slightly, Ianto says, "Left him standing out there, then. _So_ typical. I'm going to give him a proper welcome before one of you comes up with something else untoward to subject him to." With that and a quick 'Pardon', Ianto brushes past them and down the stairs. Once at the bottom, he stops and waits for the others to catch up. They reach him a couple of minutes later, Jack taking up a position next to him, and the other three grouped behind them. Once the team is in one of the many permutations of its formation, Ianto greets Stephen, now standing a couple of feet from him and Jack. "Good morning, Mr. Hart. You like you're feeling better today. Are you?" the young Welshman says, smiling politely and holding out a hand.

"I am, thanks." Stephen answers with a brief smile, as he shakes Ianto's offered hand.

"You're welcome. Nothing like some good sleep and a good meal to get you back on your feet again, right?" Ianto, still smiling, replies.

"Right." Stephen agrees, with a smile and a nod. He then looks over at Jack, standing to Ianto's left.

Immediately catching Stephen's gaze, Jack, offering his hand, says politely, "Hi, Stephen. Thanks for coming in."

"No problem." The other man answers, shaking Jack's hand. Following that exchange, the three men turn around, Jack and Ianto moving aside a little so Stephen can greet the rest of the team.

When he has finished doing so, Jack asks him, "Are you okay to go upstairs, so we can talk in my office?"

Nodding, Stephen answers, "Yeah, let's go."

Smiling briefly, Jack says, "Okay, then follow me." With that, the three men, followed by Martha, Mickey, and Gwen, go up the stairs. Jack, who is leading, maintains a steady but slow pace, so as not to tire Stephen out. When the group reaches the top of the stairs, it splits in two, one half walking off in the direction of Jack's office, and the other going back in the direction of the control room, where the entire team had been a few minutes before. When the trio of Jack, Ianto, and Stephen gets into the office, Jack inquires of Stephen politely, "Want some coffee?"

"Sure." The other man answers, giving a brief nod. At a nod from Jack, Ianto, who had been standing to the left of Jack's desk, waiting, goes off to do the task.

Once Ianto has left, Jack turns back to Stephen, and gesturing toward a nearby chair, invites, "Have a seat."

Stephen sits, at which moment, Ianto returns with his coffee. Handing the cup to him, Ianto says politely, "Here you go, Stephen."

"Thanks." He answers graciously, taking the cup.

"You're welcome." Ianto replies, smiling briefly. He then looks at Jack and asks, "Is there anything else I can do for either of you?"

Jack glances at Stephen for a moment before answering, and after the other man shakes his head, looks back at Ianto and answers, "No, we're good. Thanks, Ianto."

"Of course." The young Welshman says in return, with a smile. Following that, Ianto steps out and goes to his own adjoining office.

When Jack turns back around, Stephen asks him considerately, "So, what do you wanna know?"

Grinning, Jack replies, "A man who wants to get right down to business. I like that." He pauses momentarily, then taking a serious tone, answers, "As for what I'm hoping to find out from you, chiefly two things— what that weird, round, glowing light at the entrance to the warehouse was, and what that alien that nearly killed _you_ and attacked _us_ is."

"The light at the warehouse's entrance was what's called an anomaly. It's kind of a gateway to another time. That's how the creature and I got here, actually."

"An anomaly, huh?" Jack muses. Stephen nods. "And it's a portal to another time?"

"Right. I know it sounds likes something straight out of science fiction, but that's what it is."

"Oh no, it doesn't sound implausible to me at all. I've experienced plenty of things like that, I just could never put a name to them."

"Really?" Stephen remarks with surprise.

"Yep. I'm guessing that's why you told Martha the reason you're alive, even though public records say you're dead, would be hard to explain?"

"Yeah." Stephen answers, nodding.

"All of us here accept the existence of stuff like that. It's the sort of thing we investigate, actually, so don't worry about us thinking you're just talking nonsense." Jack reassures him.

An expression of understanding crosses Stephen's face, and he says, "I _wondered_ what it was you do here. Now that I know, I feel like less of a madman for describing the anomaly the way I did." Stephen pauses and takes his first sip of the coffee, after which he exclaims, "_Wow_, that's great coffee!"

Jack grins and says, "It is, isn't it?" Stephen nods. Jack takes a large sip of his own coffee, then continues. "Ianto makes the best coffee in the _world_, and that's no exaggeration, trust me." Both men take another sip of their coffee, then Jack resumes. "Anyway, getting back to what we're talking about." Stephen nods again. "What can you tell me about the alien my team and I encountered there in the warehouse?"

"First, it's not an alien. We could only _hope_ to be so lucky." Stephen answers wryly. Jack glances down and chuckles quietly for a moment. Hearing him, Stephen, with a slight tone of annoyance in his voice, asks, "What?"

Looking back up at him, Jack replies, "If you'd encountered some of the aliens _I_ have, you wouldn't say that. Anyway, you say it's _not_ an alien?"

Stephen resolves to ask Jack about his comment later, and instead, shaking his head, answers, "No. It's a creature from the future, specifically a predator. We think it's a future bat or rodent, we aren't sure which. There's still a lot we don't know about it."

" 'We' being the organization you work for, I assume?" Jack asks.

"Right." Stephen replies, nodding.

"So your organization is familiar with both these anomalies and this predator from the future?" the Torchwood leader continues.

"Yes. The anomalies and the creatures that come through them are what we're responsible for investigating."

"Ah, got it." Jack stops for a moment and takes a sip of his coffee, then continues. "I know you said your organization is still trying to figure out this future predator, but do they know enough that they could help us get the thing out of Cardiff, and maybe get this anomaly under control as well?"

"Yes." Stephen answers with a nod. "And I know exactly who's best suited to lead the team."

"Great!" Jack says with a smile. "Do you have a number or something I can use to contact your organization?"

"Yeah." The other man replies, nodding. He waits while Jack finds a piece of paper and a pen, then recites a phone number. After writing it down, Jack picks up the phone and begins dialing it in. As he does so, Stephen advises, "Ask the person who picks up if you can talk to Professor Nick Cutter."

"Professor Nick Cutter?" Jack asks for confirmation, pausing in his activity.

"Yeah." Stephen answers with a nod. "And if it _does_ come up at all, don't say it was me who suggested getting in touch in with them." He requests.

"Got it." With that final response, Jack returns to the task at hand, dialing in the last remaining numerals in the telephone number. For a few seconds, he hears the sound of a dial tone, then that is replaced by the sound of a phone ringing.

The phone rings in James Lester's office at ARC headquarters in London.

Picking it up, he says, "James Lester, Home Office. And you are?"

"The name's Captain Jack Harkness." An unfamiliar, American-sounding voice answers.

"Captain Jack Harkness, you said?" Lester asks for confirmation.

"That's right." The other caller answers.

"Very well, Captain Harkness." Lester continues. "How can I help you?"

"Is Professor Nick Cutter in today by chance?" the American at the other end of the line asks.

"Yes he is. Would you like to speak to him?" Lester inquires.

"Yeah, that would be great, thanks." The man on the other line responds.

"Alright, just a moment." Lester walks out of his office, still with the receiver in hand, and stops at the railing located a few feet in front of the window of his office. "Cutter!" he calls from above.

"Yeah?" the tall, blonde Scot answers, looking up from the raised desk he's sitting at.

"Phone call for you." Lester says.

"For me?" The other man nods. "Who is it?" Cutter asks suspiciously.

"An American by the name of Captain Jack Harkness. I believe he's calling from somewhere in Wales." Lester answers.

"_Wales_?" Lester nods again. "I didn't know there _were_ any American military bases in Wales. Did he say what he wanted?"

"Aside from wanting to speak with you, no."

Just for a moment, Nick's thoughts drift to what Helen had told him before she'd set in motion the final part of her plan to bring down the ARC: that his research would ultimately lead to the discovery of a means to control the future predators and transform them into an army, an army that would eventually turn the Earth into a barren wasteland virtually devoid of life. Had Helen been right after all? Was speaking to this American, presumably a member of that country's military, simply the first step toward that dismal future? Nick hoped to god it wasn't.

He is abruptly interrupted from his dark musings by Lester saying, "Cutter, are you feeling alright?"

"Sorry?" Nick answers.

"I said, are you alright?" Lester repeats.

"Yeah, just a bit tired is all."

Lester utters a partly annoyed, partly concerned sigh, then says, "I thought it was too soon for you to come back to work. Why don't you take the rest of the day off and rest, then come back in tomorrow."

"No, I'll be fine." Nick replies, brushing some stray hair off his forehead.

"Cutter, you are _by far_ one of the most stubborn men I have ever met." Lester says as he starts making his way down the stairs toward Nick.

He slides off the stool he's sitting on and replies, "Don't worry about bringing the phone to me, I'll take the call up there."

"If you wish." Lester tells him resignedly, stopping on the middle section of the stairs. Nick meets him there, and the two men, walking side by side, cover the remaining distance to Lester's office.

Once they are inside the room, Lester hands the phone over to Nick, who says warily, "Hello?"

"Is this Professor Cutter?" Jack, on the other end of the line in Cardiff, asks.

"It is. What did you want to talk with me about?" Nick replies.

"I'm the leader of an organization here in Cardiff that's responsible for investigating unusual occurrences and creature sightings here in town."

"Okay, go on." Nick invites, his suspicion about the caller's reason for contacting the ARC lessening ever so slightly, due to what sounds like a similarity in the work both organizations do.

"A few days ago, my team and I encountered an unfamiliar example of both those things. A source we have told me you and the organization you work for might be able to help." Jack explains. "So, would you be willing to liaison with us here?" he asks after a momentary pause.

"I'll have to check with my superior first." Nick replies.

"Of course." The Torchwood leader acknowledges. "Do you wanna call back when you've gotten your answer?"

"No need. He's close by, so it'll only take a minute."

"Okay, great." Jack answers.

As Nick puts the telephone receiver down on Lester's desk to talk to him, he asks, "So, what _does_ he want?"

"He was pretty vague about it, but it sounds like an anomaly appeared in the area, and something came through it. He wants our help with investigating it." Nick explains.

"Then we should give it. We've enough trouble with that here, so we don't want it spreading to…Where _in_ Wales did it happen?" Lester says.

"Cardiff." The other man answers.

"In Cardiff, you say?" Nick nods. "Then they must be true."

"What?" Nick asks in bewilderment.

"The stories about it. Over the years, I've heard many tales in government circles about unusual happenings and sightings there. I never believed any of them, the details were such nonsense, but it seems some were true after all."

Setting aside his shock over Lester's revelation for the moment, Nick asks, "So, do we have the go ahead to assist this Captain Harkness and his organization in their investigation?"

"Yes, you have my full permission." Lester answers.

"Alright then." Nick then picks up the phone again and says, "Captain Harkness?"

"Mmhmm…?" Jack responds.

"I just finished speaking to my superior, and he said it would be fine if our organization worked with yours."

"Excellent." Jack replies. "Now, you're based in London, right?"

"That's correct." Nick replies.

"Would coming here later today work for you? Or is tomorrow better?" Jack asks.

Nick glances at his watch for a moment, then answers, "No, today'll be fine."

"Great! Uh, let me give you the directions to get here. Do you have paper and a pen or pencil handy?"

"Don't worry about it. Our vehicles are equipped with GPS, so all we need is an address." Nick says.

Jack recites an address over the phone, then asks, "Did you get that?"

"Yeah. Do you want me to read it back to you?" Nick says.

"Yeah, just to make sure you transcribed it correctly."

Nick reads the address back to him, then asks, "Is that right?"

"Yep."

"Good. So, how and where would you like to meet?"

"Let's see…" Jack pauses to think, and after a minute, answers, "Why don't you call when you're close, and I'll meet you and your team, if they're with you, outside. Does that work?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Nick responds.

"Okay, I'll see you in a couple of hours or so." The Torchwood leader says.

"Yep." Nick replies. After an exchange of polite goodbyes, the two men hang up.

Nick takes a moment to write down the number flashing on the phone, then turns to Lester and says, "This'll take a couple of days _at least_, possibly more. Are you sure the ARC can operate sufficiently with me gone and without a full staff?"

"I wouldn't have given you my permission if I didn't think so. As long as you maintain contact and are ready to come back immediately should the need arise, it won't be a problem."

"Alright. I'll go put together my team, then." Nick says, starting out of the office.

"Do that." Lester replies, nodding. "And Cutter?"

"Yeah?" Nick says, turning around.

"Try to avoid getting shot again or otherwise injured while you're there, hmmm…?"

The middle-aged professor can't help but chuckle at his supervisor's wryness for a moment. Following that, Nick says, "Understood."

"Good." Lester answers, beginning to busy himself at his desk. Taking it as a sign that he is dismissed, Nick turns away and continues out of the office, then down the stairs.

A few steps from the bottom of the stairwell, Nick calls, "Connor, Abby!" The two twenty-somethings look up from their neighboring workstations at the sound of their names. When Nick has cleared the remaining steps, he continues. "How does taking a trip out of town sound to you?"

"A trip? Where?" Connor asks with some interest.

"To Cardiff, in Wales." The older man answers.

"I've never been there, could be fun." The twenty-six year old says.

"I thought you'd like the idea." Nick remarks, smiling at his student-turned-colleague. "How about you, Abby? What do you say?" He continues, looking over at her.

"Sure, but why are we going?" the twenty-four year old asks.

"I failed to mention that, didn't I?" Abby nods. "Sorry. An anomaly appeared there a few days ago, and something came through it. There's an organization in the area that investigates strange phenomena there. They've never encountered anomalies before, so they want our help checking it out."

"So we'll be working with another agency?" Abby asks.

"Yeah."

"_That'll_ be interesting." The young, amateur zoologist comments.

"Exactly what I thought." Nick agrees, hearing the ironic tone in her voice. After a moment's pause, he says, "I think that's it, so the two of you can head home to pack. Meet me back here when you're done, then we'll leave."

"How many days should we pack for?" Connor asks, dropping off the stool he's sitting on.

"Three days at most, I think." Nick replies.

"Got it." His former student says.

"Wait, _three days_?" Abby exclaims. Nick nods. "What about Rex, Sid, and Nancy?"

"Bring them with you." He suggests.

"Hiding them from the rest of the passengers on the bus is going to be a bit of a challenge." Abby points out.

"That won't be a problem. We aren't taking the bus."

"Oh, then never mind."

"So we're gonna drive to Cardiff?" Connor asks Nick.

"That's right." He answers.

"Sort of a road trip then." Connor continues, beginning to pack up his laptop.

"If you wanna call it that, yeah." Nick replies.

"Cool, I like road trips." The young man says, packing up his remaining equipment. Connor glances at Abby for a moment, and notices the somewhat sour look on her face. He turns back around, and while stowing away the last few things on his desk, says in a nervous, hurried manner, "We'd better head to the flat and get packed."

"Yep. I'll see the two of you in an hour and a half or so." Nick answers. With that, Connor slips the bag holding his laptop and other work supplies over his left shoulder and diagonally across his back, then rushes after Abby, already heading in the direction of the door. Nick takes a moment to watch them leave, then goes over to his own workstation and begins gathering things up. At that moment, Jenny walks over.

When she reaches him, she asks with concern, "Cutter, are you _sure_ you've recovered enough to go back out in the field? You've been out of the hospital barely a week and a half."

"I'll be alright." Nick reassures her, though the slight flinch he makes as he briefly stretches indicates otherwise.

Jenny utters a brief sigh, then replies, "Alright. Just…be careful, okay Nick?"

"I will." He answers, giving her the bashful but gentle smile that only crosses his face during intimate interactions like this one. "Maybe when I get back, we can finally have that drink we talked about."

"I'd like that." Jenny says in return, smiling slightly.

"Great. Then I'll give you a raincheck when I come back." Nick answers.

"Sounds good. I guess I'll see you in a few days, then?" Jenny replies.

"Yeah." Nick answers.

"Then I'll see you later."

"Yep. See you in a few days." Following that exchange, Jenny goes off to attend to her personal duties, and Nick returns to clearing up his desk. He finishes doing that after five more minutes, then heads out to prepare for the trip.

Two hours later, Connor and Abby meet Nick outside the ARC, the latter of the young pair with Rex perched on her right shoulder. Both she and Connor are also holding a medium-sized overnight bag.

Struck with both amusement and admiration, Nick remarks to Abby, "Now, how did you get him to stay on your shoulder like that? I wouldn't think lizards _could_ be trained! They're not smart enough."

Abby glances at Rex for a moment and strokes him under the neck with a left hand finger, then looks back at Nick. "Rex is, apparently." She says. "Though I don't know how much of that is natural intelligence, and how much is spending time around humans." Just as Abby finishes her sentence, Rex jumps off her shoulder and glides toward Nick, landing squarely on his left shoulder.

"Well, hi there." Nick says to the small reptile, smiling and chuckling brightly at it. Rex makes one of his many communicative chirps, then does something decidedly more dog-like than reptile-like: he sticks out his tongue, and to the best of his ability, licks Nick's face. Following that, Rex jumps off his perch and glides back to Abby, returning to the same place he had taken off from seconds before. For a moment, Nick is so surprised that he's speechless. Finally, he says, "Did he just do what I think he did? Did he just lick me like a dog would?"

Smiling with delight, Abby answers, "Yeah. I think he was glad to see you."

"_Glad to see me_? You're serious?" Nick exclaims. Abby nods. "But why? He's been around you and Connor more than me, so he hasn't interacted with me enough to develop an attachment like the one he has with you two."

Abby blushes slightly and says, "A lot is probably due to how I interact with him. When Connor's busy or not around, I… talk to Rex. One of those times, I told him what had happened to you, and a little bit about how I felt."

Smiling kindly and nodding, Nick says, "That explains it." After a moment's pause, he changes the subject, asking, "So, are you two ready?" Connor and Abby nod. "Alright. Throw your bags in back and get Sid and Nancy in the car, and we'll go." Nick's young colleagues do both things in short order, and join him in the front seats. All three fasten their seatbelts, then Nick, sitting in the driver's seat, starts up the whitish-tan field SUV, and they go on their way.

The trio sits in silence for awhile, then Abby inquires, "So, what's this organization we'll be working with called? What sort of phenomena does it investigate, if not things like anomalies?"

"The person I talked to didn't say what his organization is called. As for what it deals with, it sounds similar to what we investigate: strange creatures, and things like that."

"But _not_ anomalies?" Abby comments.

"Apparently not."

"Hmmm… ."

"When you say strange creatures, do you mean, like, the sorts of things we deal with?" Connor asks. "Creatures from other times?"

"From what Lester hinted at when I was in his office, I think they're more unusual than even _that_." Nick answers.

Abby glances at Nick and asks, "What could be more unusual than the creatures _we_ see everyday?"

Shaking his head, Nick replies, "I couldn't begin to guess." The three ARC employees lapse into silence again, only occasionally making conversation for the rest of the trip.

A couple of hours or so later, in Cardiff, the phone rings in Jack's office. Picking it up, Jack says, "Hello?"

"We'll be there in about five minutes." The Scottish-accented voice on the other end of the line answers.

"Okay, I'll be right out." Jack replies. He hears the sound of a phone clicking off, and follows suit by hanging up his own. After getting up, he pushes in his chair and goes out the door, closing it behind him. Passing the control room a few minutes later, Jack stops briefly and pokes his head in, saying, "Guys?" The other team members, along with Stephen, look up. "I'm going out to meet our contact and his team in front of the Tourist Office. I'll be right back, okay?" The quartet nods, and Jack continues on his way, reaching the stairs outside the Tourist Office after a couple of minutes.

Five additional minutes later, Jack spies a trio of people walking toward him from a vehicle parked across the street, a little past the front of the Tourist Office. As they come close enough to be seen clearly, Jack begins assessing this team that will be assisting him and Torchwood for the next few days. The first thing he notices is how small the group is. It doesn't surprise him, as he'd only requested _assistance_, rather than complete backup, to handle the situation, but he finds it interesting nonetheless. The second thing he takes note of is the impression they give: unassuming, normal, and by all accounts, completely ordinary.

After that, he looks over the people themselves. In the middle of the group, which is arranged in a horizontal line, he sees a tall, blonde, somewhat shaggy-haired, early-fortyish looking man wearing a white, collared, button-down shirt, khaki slacks, a tan, semi-casual jacket, and what look like matching loafers. Jack lets his gaze linger on the man for a few more moments, during which he is struck by how clearly the man's identity comes through when looking at him for the first time with proper attentiveness. Despite a few noticeably incongruous details of his appearance, something about him, whether his carriage, his manner of dress, or another thing entirely, gives him a professorial air. With that in mind, Jack decides the person is the Professor Cutter he'd spoken with on the phone earlier in the day, and _further_ concludes that he is the de-facto leader of the trio. His observation of the professor completed, Jack turns his attention to the man's companions. Both look to be in their mid-twenties, and one is positioned on either side of the professor. Seeing them there, in the prime of life, flanking their presumed leader, Jack is reminded momentarily of what is more or less an inescapable truth about Torchwood: everyone who works for the organization, unless they're _extremely_ lucky, clever, or they decide to leave, dies young. Observing the trio as it draws closer, Jack can't help but wonder if the same holds true for the one _they_'_re_ a part of. After musing a bit on the thought, he locks it away for the moment and returns to pondering the professor's companions. The woman, positioned on his right, looks to be the younger of the two. She is blonde, with very short hair, is of about average height, and is wearing a gray and white plaid, zip-up top over a sky blue tanktop, and imitation military fatigues, giving the impression that she is laid back, but ready to kick ass if need be. Jack likes _her_ already. He then gives the young man on the left a once-over. _He_ is dark-haired, of average height, and wearing a short-sleeved black shirt, a red hooded sweatshirt, a black leather jacket, black pants, low-top hiking boots, and fingerless gloves. He also has a medium sized, roughly rectangular bag slung over his shoulder. At first glance, he has all the appearance of a troublesome street punk, but after closer examination, it's clear that his style of dress is only a front to conceal what he's _really_ like: shy, awkward, and somewhat geeky. Jack's overall perception of the group, after mentally filing away his impression of the young man with those of the professor and the young woman, is that it's an interesting mix of personalities and skills that probably work well in the right situation. His assessment of how helpful the team is going to be to Torchwood is this: information-wise and in terms of know-how, it will be a great help, but perhaps not much of one when they inevitably have to face the creature out in the field.

Just as Jack finishes his thought, the trio reaches him on the steps. Ceasing his musing for the moment, Jack looks at Nick, and offering his hand, asks, "Professor Nick Cutter?"

"That's me." Nick answers, taking the offered hand and shaking it. "Pleased to meet you, Captain Harkness." He adds.

"Same to you, and you can just call me Jack." Jack replies. Following the handshake, he says tentatively, "Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look quite the way I expected."

Nick smiles slightly and chuckles, then replies, "I get that a lot."

"Do you?" Jack answers, beginning to relax.

"Yeah." The professor says, nodding.

"Glad I'm not the only one who feels that way." Jack replies, smiling. He then looks from Nick to Connor, then Abby, and back. When Jack has met Nick's gaze again, he asks pleasantly, "So, who are these two lovely young people with you?"

Looking over at Connor first, Nick answers, "This is Connor Temple. He's a student of mine who started out just tagging along with the team, but he eventually earned a position in it. He's our identification and tech expert."

"How do you do." Connor, stepping forward a little and holding out his hand, says to Jack.

"Hi Connor, nice to meet you." He replies, shaking the young man's offered hand.

That introduction completed, Nick turns his attention to Abby. "This is Miss Abby Maitland." He says, looking at her. "She was sort of an accidental recruit. Her job is to use her knowledge about animals to help us compare them to creatures we encounter, so we can deal with them better."

"Ah, got it." Jack answers. He then comes down the steps a little ways, and stops. Offering his hand to Abby, he says, "Hi Abby, nice to meet you."

"You too." Abby replies politely, shaking his hand.

Jack then turns back to Nick, and not unpleasantly, comments, "So an insistent recruit and an accidental one, huh?" Nick nods. Smiling again, Jack responds, "Sometimes those are the best ones."

"Sometimes they are." Nick agrees, nodding.

Becoming somewhat serious again, Jack invites, "Ready to come in?" Nick nods. "Okay, hold on tight. The trio looks at him oddly, but Jack just smiles. After he fiddles with something around his left wrist, the trio suddenly feels the pavement under them begin to sink at moderate speed.

"What the?" Nick exclaims, looking down for a moment.

As the apparent platform continues its course downwards, Connor begins to check out their surroundings. "I think we're going underground."

"Obviously." Abby replies, with a bit of annoyance.

"No, I mean, like into an underground base or somethin'!"

After an exasperated sigh, Abby says, "Oh, come on, Connor, be serious."

"Actually, Abby, he's right. Look." Nick says, glancing at her. Abby does as he suggests, and says not a further word afterwards.

A couple of minutes later, they find themselves gathered behind Jack, facing the hatch, now open, that serves as the Hub's door. "How cool is this?" Connor exclaims, looking up and around him, grinning.

Grinning back at him, Jack says, "It gets better." Following that ambiguous comment, the Torchwood leader, with dramatic flair, strides through the entrance. Turning back around and facing them, he announces, "Connor, Abby, Professor Cutter: Welcome to the Hub." After saying his piece, Jack moves aside with great deliberation, so they can get a good look at the inside. Almost instantly, the three ARC employees stop dead in their tracks, each one of them wearing a varied expression of awe on their faces.

"Awesome!" Connor finally exclaims, still grinning from ear to ear.

"No kidding!" Abby comments.

"Impressive." Nick remarks, nodding.

"Thanks." Jack says, smiling proudly.

After taking another moment to survey the area, Nick asks, "What exactly does your organization _do_ that it's based in a large, advanced facility like this?"

"From the information about your organization our compiler, researcher, and archivist pulled up for me, it sounds like we do the same thing you do, but with aliens and alien technology, rather than creatures from other times."

Connor, who had still been engaged in looking around, suddenly asks breathlessly, "Wait, you do research on and work with _aliens_?"

"Among other things, yeah." Jack answers, looking over at him.

Grinning widely again, Connor says, "That is so _cool_!"

"It can be." Jack answers, smiling at him.

Looking at Jack in disbelief, Nick says, "Let me get this straight. Your organization investigates sightings of _aliens_?"

"And other paranormal things and occurrences, yeah." Jack replies.

"_That_'_s_ what he meant." Nick murmurs to himself.

Jack, close enough to just barely hear him, asks, "What who meant?"

"Oh, uh, our supervisor, James Lester. While I was discussing your request for assistance with him, he said he'd heard stories about this part of Wales, but they were so unbelievable, he dismissed all of them." Nick answers.

"_Oh_, got it." Jack replies, the slight bit of nervousness in his voice fading. "Well, they're a lot more than stories, believe me."

"If you were anyone else, or were employed anywhere else, I'd suspect you were lying." Nick continues. "But you've already told us so much about your organization, probably more than you normally would, or even _should_, that I'm inclined to believe you."

"I'm glad to hear it." Jack answers. "I figured since both of us are part of a sort of secret organization, you and your team are trustworthy."

" 'Sort of' being the operative phrase there." Nick remarks with a slight chuckle. "And thank you."

"Yes, exactly." Jack agrees in the same manner. "You're welcome." He adds in response to Nick's thanks.

Steering the conversation back to the original subject, Nick inquires, "So, being that your field of research is aliens and their technology, what's your organization connected to? The military? The government?"

Shaking his head, Jack explains, "Neither." After a moment's pause, he says, "Not the government that _runs_ things, anyway. Torchwood, that's our organization's name, was established in the nineteenth century by Queen Victoria, so it answers to and is supported by only the crown."

"I see." Nick replies, nodding.

Moving on from the current subject, Jack says, "Now that the three of you have gotten a pretty good look at the place, how would you like to meet the rest of the team?"

"Sounds good." Nick tells him. "Connor? Abby?" he says, looking at each in turn. Both nod in agreement.

"Okay, come on." Jack says, turning away and starting off. The trio follows willingly, Nick in front.

A couple of minutes into the walk, a shadow falls over Nick, Connor, and Abby, causing them to look up. "Cutter, is that a…?" Connor asks, his eyes still fixed on the shape gliding lazily above them.

"Pteranodon?" Nick answers. Connor nods. "Yeah, it is." Taking a brief glance at his two companions, Nick instructs, "Slow down your pace a little, and be ready to duck, got it?" Connor and Abby nod, then the three of them continue walking.

Jack glances at the trio briefly, and noticing how disconcerted they appear, looks up. A smile crosses his face, and he says, "That's just Myfanwy. She's perfectly harmless."

Leaning over to Nick, Abby whispers, "They actually _named_ her?"

"Looks that way." Nick answers.

"Wait, is it even _female_?"

Nick looks up at the pteranodon, then back at Abby, and says, "Yeah, she is."

"How would they know that?" Abby asks.

"They probably did some research, and found out that way." Nick suggests.

"Must have." Abby agrees.

Looking over at Jack, who had stopped to let them catch up, Nick asks, "So she's harmless?"

"Yep, completely. I'll show you." Jack answers. Looking away and up toward the far left, Jack calls, "Ianto, can you come out here for a minute? I need to ask you something."

Ianto comes out of the control room moments later, followed by Gwen, Martha, Mickey, and Stephen. Each one, except for Stephen, who hangs back slightly, takes up a position along the length of the railing to observe the new arrivals. Looking down at Jack, Ianto says, "What is it, Jack?"

"Has Myfanwy already been fed today?" he asks.

"She has. Why?" Ianto answers.

"I don't think our guests are _quite _convinced she isn't going to hurt them, so I thought we'd prove it." Jack says.

Ianto smiles amusedly and says, "No harm in giving her a treat or two. I'll be right back." With that, he turns around and heads off to some undetermined destination. He returns a few minutes later, holding a chocolate bar in one hand.

Jack looks back up when he hears Ianto's footsteps on the walkway, and asks, "Ianto, is that chocolate you brought back?"

"It is." he answers.

Jack looks down for a moment and shakes his head, then says, "I don't want you to knock her out, just show our guests she won't attack them."

"A little won't do anything." Ianto reassures him.

"Are you sure?" Jack asks.

"I hid her and kept her fed for days before I asked for your help, remember?"

"That's true." Jack acknowledges. "Okay, go for it." He adds, shrugging.

Behind Jack, Abby wheels around and asks Nick, "Did I hear that right? They're going to give her _chocolate_?"

"Sounds like." Nick answers.

"Okay, _this_ I have to see." Abby exclaims, shaking her head bemusedly.

"You and me both." Nick remarks, turning his attention back to the unfolding scene. While he observes the young man Harkness keeps addressing as "Ianto" unwrap the chocolate bar (the sound of which sends the pterosaur flapping quickly over to the group assembled above, he notices), Nick takes the opportunity to look the young Welshman over. He is wearing a black pinstripe suit, a white dress shirt, and a dark, patterned tie. Nick also estimates that the young man is close to Connor and Abby's age. His examination of the young Welshman concluded, Nick's gaze drifts from him to the rest of the group: another, slightly older man, and two women, one of which appears to be close to his age, and the other closer to that of the man standing next to the youth in the suit. Nick also notices that _he_'_s_ the only member of Harkness's team dressed so formally, though the Torchwood leader _could _be described as dressed in a semi-formal manner. His outfit this particular day is a light lavender, collared shirt, light gray braces, khaki slacks, and dark brown, lace-up work boots.

Nick turns his attention from Jack and the rest of the Torchwood team just in time to see Myfanwy alight on the railing, across from Ianto, and gently pluck the bit of chocolate from his fingers, swallowing it whole. For added amusement, Ianto breaks off a somewhat larger piece and throws it in front and away from him for Myfanwy to catch, which she does, with excellent grace and skill.

Despite his scientific reasoning telling him how bad modern, processed food like chocolate probably is for a creature from the Jurassic period, Nick can't help but chuckle with delight at the concluding spectacle.

"Convinced?" Jack, grinning as he glances at the trio, asks.

"We are." Nick, still with an amused smile on his face, answers, nodding. "But why chocolate?" he asks after a momentary pause.

Shrugging, Jack answers, "She's always liked it, from the moment she first appeared in Cardiff."

"How long ago was that, anyway? Any idea where she came from?" Nick asks with curiosity.

"It was a little over two years ago, around the time I recruited Ianto. _He_ found her, actually. As for where she came from, all we knew until earlier this morning was she'd come through the Rift."

"Rift? What's that?" Nick inquires.

"Oh, that's what we call the rip in time and space that Cardiff, and by extension, the Hub, is built on." Jack explains.

"Okay, I understand what you mean now." Nick answers. "What did you learn today that helped you better understand where she came from?"

"After talking this morning with that source I mentioned to you on the phone, we theorized that she'd come through a…" Looking up at Ianto at that moment, Jack asks, "What was the term our source used, Ianto?"

Ianto purses his lips in thought, trying to remember the word, but is beaten to it by another voice, a voice Nick knows, but doesn't believe he's hearing. "An anomaly." The familiar voice says. Nick stands stone still, holding his breath and certain his ears are deceiving him, as the sound of footsteps behind Jack comes closer and closer, then finally ceases a few feet in front of him.

"Yeah, an anomaly. Thanks." Jack says, looking at Stephen.

"No problem." He replies. He slightly lessens the distance between himself and Nick, then stops, putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Good to see you, Cutter." He says, nodding slightly.

In spite of his shock, Nick manages to _subtly_ look Stephen over. He appears somewhat thinner than he did when they last saw each other, and looks slightly older than his thirty-two years, but aside from those things, is unmistakably their lost, supposedly dead, colleague.

To his personal surprise, Nick is _also_ able to speak. "_Stephen_?" he exclaims in disbelief. Stephen nods. "But how?"

"I'll tell you later." Stephen assures him, offering a hand. Nick begins moving to return the greeting, but then his abject relief at seeing Stephen alive and well overtakes him, and it becomes a half-second long, friendly hug. Following its conclusion, Stephen looks over at Connor and Abby, standing agape at Nick's side, and asks in the brotherly tone he'd always reserved for them, "Have you two been staying out of trouble?"

"We, uh, yeah, mostly." Connor answers, totally unable to utter a coherent sentence.

"Have they really?" Stephen asks, glancing at Nick.

After a brief chuckle, he answers, "Yeah, they have."

"Good." Stephen says.

A somewhat awkward silence suddenly arises between the four reunited colleagues, during which time they do little but look back and forth amongst each other, each waiting for one of the others to say something.

After a few moments, Abby finally breaks through the silence. "I'm so glad you're alright after all." She says, hugging Stephen tightly.

Accepting the physical contact as willingly as he had Nick's a few minutes earlier, Stephen looks down at Abby with a smile and tells her, "I'm glad I am, too."

After the pair finishes their embrace, Connor, nudged into a response by Abby's action, greets Stephen warmly in a manner similar to Nick's, saying as he does so, "Good to see you, mate."

"You too." Stephen replies, a smile briefly crossing his face again.

As Connor and Stephen finish greeting one another, Nick, who had moved aside a little when Abby had begun her greeting, says quietly to Jack, "He was the source you kept referring to?" The Torchwood leader nods. "I wish you'd said something, so it wouldn't have been such a shock to see him."

Jack, who up to this point, had been watching the scene unfold with a mixture of delight and melancholy, due to recent memories of a similar, but too brief reunion in his own team, looks at Nick and explains, "Earlier today, when I was talking to you on the phone, he asked me not to say anything. I guess he wanted to surprise you guys or something."

Nick laughs softly, then says, "It's just like Stephen to wanna do something like that." The ARC leader pauses for a moment and glances at the young trio, still interacting happily, then looks back at Jack and asks, "How did he happen to meet up with you and your team?"

"That case we called to ask for your help with?" Nick nods. "On the first evening we investigated it, we found him in an alley, injured, bloody, and nearly dead. We thought that if he was still alive, he'd be able to help us find out what was going on at the site, so we stabilized him as best we could and brought him back with us. He's only been on his feet for a few days, but he's doing amazingly well."

"That sounds like him." Nick answers, nodding knowingly. "Stephen's always been tough as nails." He pauses briefly, then adds, "Thanks for helping him. If it weren't for you, he'd probably be dead now."

"Don't mention it." Jack replies, nodding.

By then, Connor, Abby, and Stephen have finished any catching up they wanted to do, and are coming over to Nick and Jack. Once the trio has reached them, Jack, aiming his inquiry chiefly at Nick, Connor, and Abby, asks, "Ready to go upstairs and meet the others?"

Nick, as both leader and spokesperson for the small ARC contingent, says, nodding, "Yep."

"Okay, follow me." Jack invites.

The group reaches the top of the stairs a few minutes later, at which point, Stephen splits off and stands aside while the introductions commence. With Jack in the lead and Nick behind him, the group walks over to meet the other members of the Torchwood team.


	4. Chapter 4

Starting with Ianto, who is slightly in front of the others, Jack, looking at each team member in turn, says, "Professor Cutter, Connor, Abby, I'd like you to meet Ianto Jones, Mickey Smith, Gwen Cooper, and Dr. Martha Jones." As Jack introduces his colleagues one by one, Nick, Connor, and Abby shake their hands.

Once introductions and greetings have all been made, Gwen asks Jack, "Anything you need us for?"

"Nope. Just keep doing what you guys are doing. See if you can pinpoint a location where the creature spends a lot of time, so we can corner it and maybe take care of it." Jack answers.

"Got it." Gwen says in return, nodding. With that she turns around and starts walking back to the control room, followed by Martha and Mickey.

Ianto, still waiting for instructions from Jack, asks, "What would you like me to do?"

"How about you take Connor and Abby down below to meet Janet, and maybe give them a tour of the rest of the Hub while I meet with the Professor and Stephen here." Jack answers. "I'll let you know when we're done, so you can gather everyone back together for a briefing on what we've decided to do about the creature."

"Yes sir." Ianto says with a smile and a nod. Turning then to Connor and Abby, he invites, "Come on." The pair follows the young Welshman without a word, and the trio goes back down the stairs.

When they are out of sight, Jack turns to Nick and Stephen and says, "Let's go to my office." With Jack in the lead, the three men set off, reaching the office after ten minutes. The Torchwood leader invites both men to sit down, which they do, Stephen in the same chair he'd been in earlier, and Nick in another Jack finds and brings into the office.

After he and Stephen settle in, Nick asks Jack, "So, what's the situation?"

"A few days ago, one of these anomalies your organization studies appeared in a neighborhood in the outskirts of the city. Along with your colleague here, one of the creatures you refer to as a 'future predator' came through it."

"Okay, go on." Nick invites when Jack lapses into silence.

"We've never encountered one of these things before, so we have no idea how to deal with it. Basically, we need you to help us get rid of it." Jack explains matter-of-factly.

"I see." Nick answers, nodding. "Then I should tell you up front that our means of dealing with the creatures that come through the anomalies doesn't involve killing them. We just figure out a way to send them back to the time they came from."

"And why's that?" Jack asks darkly.

Nick leans his back against his chair and sighs slightly, then says, "The explanation is going to sound like utter nonsense."

"Try me. You might be surprised." Jack says in a more neutral tone.

"We only send them back to the time they came from because doing otherwise might disrupt the time-space continuum and change crucial events so dramatically that the results could be disastrous." Nick explains.

"Sort of an alternative 'butterfly effect', then." Jack muses.

"Exactly." Nick agrees. "But this one effects evolution itself."

"Understood." The Torchwood leader says, nodding. "So killing it is out of the question."

"Yes, completely." The ARC leader replies.

"Okay." Jack says understandingly. "There _is_ still a way to get it out of Cardiff, though?"

"Yeah." Nick answers, nodding.

"As long as it'll get the creature out of the city, I'm happy." Jack tells him. "So, what do you have in mind to get that accomplished?" Nick then begins to lay out the plan for Jack, who hangs on every word.

Meanwhile, in the lower level of the Hub, Connor and Abby, both with awed looks on their faces, are standing next to Ianto in front of Janet's cell.

"Is that a…?" Connor asks, his voice filled with amazement.

"An alien?" Ianto answers, smiling. Connor simply nods, his gaze fixed on the cell window. "Yes it is. We call it a Weevil." The young Welshman continues. "Jack seems to think it's female, which is why we named it Janet."

"That's an honest to goodness alien creature?" Abby asks, glancing at Ianto. He nods in response. "Wow! It's nothing like I expected. When I think of aliens, I picture ones like you see in the movies."

Smiling, Ianto replies, "Little green men? Short, skinny beings with long arms and legs? Creatures with multiple eyes?"

"Well, yeah." Abby answers.

"Those exist too, but they don't visit that often, not here, anyway. If they _do_, they don't usually land. More often than not, they've just happened to be traveling through Earth airspace, or they've gotten off course. We either politely ask them to leave, or give them directions to get back on course, then send them on their way." Ianto explains.

Abby breaks out in a fit of laughter then, and asks, "You've had to give aliens directions? _Seriously_?"

"Yes, you'd be surprised at how often it happens." Ianto answers.

Finally looking away from the cell, Connor asks, "So, does this alien have, like, special abilities or anything? Does it use mind control or anything like that?"

Shaking his head, Ianto says, "No, but we think Weevils are mildly telepathic. They're also sensitive to the influence of the Rift."

"Yeah?" Ianto nods. "Cool! Are you studying it? Is that why you're keeping it in here?"

"Yes." The young Welshman answers. "There are hundreds of them running around Cardiff, so we're studying this one to find out more about them. We treat her very well, though."

"That's good to hear." Abby remarks.

Momentarily returning his attention to the cell, Connor says, "That must be so cool, to study an alien life form."

"It's actually rather dull. She doesn't do much. But there _are_ other extraterrestrial things here that are more fun to study, if you'd like to see them." Ianto answers.

"There are _more_ things like this here?" Connor asks excitedly.

"No more beings as such, no, but we _do_ have a lot of alien flora." Ianto answers.

Abby, who had only been half interested when they'd reached the cells, perks up at Ianto's words and asks him, "Where?"

"In the hothouse. Come on, I'll show you." The young Welshman says. With that, Ianto starts walking back in the direction they had come from, Abby and Connor right behind him.

Back upstairs in Jack's office, he, Nick, and Stephen are still discussing what to do about the future predator. As Stephen listens, he finds that his gaze keeps drifting to Nick, no matter how hard he tries to divide his attention equally between him and Jack. It seems to Stephen that Nick has aged backwards five years, and now looks only a few years older than himself. 'Something to do with altered timelines, probably.' The thirty-two tear old thinks to himself. Nick's distinct Scottish brogue, followed by Jack's accent-less voice, eventually pull Stephen out of his reverie.

Glancing to his left, Nick asks, "Stephen, you alright?"

As Stephen looks back up, Jack adds, "Yeah, we lost you for a minute there. You okay?"

"Yeah, just tired, I think. Too much too soon after beginning to heal." Stephen answers.

Jack nods understandingly, then says, "I'll tell you what, since you're kind of worn out and your colleagues haven't had a chance to rest from the drive or settle in, we'll continue this later. How does that sound?"

"Sure." Stephen replies, shrugging. "Thanks."

"No problem." Jack says. He then looks at Nick and asks, "How about you, Professor? What do you say?"

"That's fine." Nick answers, nodding. "Do we need to wait for hotel arrangements to be made?"

"Knowing Ianto, it's probably been taken care of already, so no, I don't think so." Jack tells him.

Just then, Ianto comes by with Connor and Abby. Noticing the three men are no longer engaged in discussion, Ianto asks Jack, "All finished?"

"Yeah, for now." He says, nodding. "Have you already taken care of hotel arrangements for Professor Cutter and his team?"

"Yes I have." Ianto answers

"Great." Jack says approvingly. Seeing the questioning look on Ianto's face, he explains, "Stephen is kind of tired, and since Professor Cutter and his team haven't had a chance to rest from the drive, I think it would be best to talk more about the situation later."

"I see." Ianto replies, nodding. "So no briefing, then?"

"Right." Jack says nodding slightly

"Alright, I'll walk them out, then." Ianto says.

"I'll come with you." Jack says to him, standing up.

"If you like." Ianto replies, smiling. He and Jack wait for Nick and Stephen to get up, then the group heads off in the direction of the stairs. After ten minutes, they are downstairs in the Tourist Office.

As the group walks to the door, Nick asks Ianto and Jack, "Do you have an address we can enter into a GPS device, so we can get directions?"

"You won't need to use it. I arranged for the three of you to stay in the same hotel as Stephen, so he knows the way." Ianto answers. "Don't you?" he asks, looking at Stephen.

"Yeah, and even if I don't remember the entire route, I know the address." He answers.

"Alright, thanks." Nick says to Ianto.

"You're welcome." He answers with a nod.

By then, they have gone out the door and are standing on the steps. Holding out his hand, Nick asks Jack, "When would you like to continue the meeting?"

"I'll call you on your mobile and let you know." He answers.

"Alright, I'll talk to you then." Nick says. When he has finished shaking Jack's hand, he looks over at Ianto, and doing the same thing, tells him, "Thanks again for making the hotel arrangements."

"Of course." Ianto answers with a smile. With that final gesture of consideration, Nick, Connor, Abby, and Stephen turn away and start the walk back to their car.

While walking back up the stairs to the Tourist Office, Jack turns to Ianto and asks him, "So what do you think of the assistance we were sent?"

"They all seem very knowledgeable, even the youngest members of the team. When I was showing them around the Hub, both asked questions about what they were seeing that only people who had some knowledge of them would think of." Ianto answers. "So I think they'll be very helpful. You?"

"Yeah, I think so too. Their way of dealing with the things that come out of these anomalies is kind of unconventional, but I mostly understand their reasoning." Jack replies.

"Unconventional? How?" Ianto asks, glancing at him.

"They don't kill them, they just send them back to where they came from. I understand why it's important to do that with the animals from the past, but this thing from the future, not so much. Still, I think we'll work together with them fine."

"I think so too." Ianto agrees. The couple says not a word the rest of the way, content to just be close to one another. When they return to the control room fifteen minutes later, they immediately set to helping the others with their task.

The semi-reunited ARC team gets to the field SUV a few minutes after their departure from the Tourist Office. After Nick unlocks it, they get in. As Stephen eases in after opening the back passenger door, he sees Rex perched on top of the seat, sunning himself.

Smiling, Stephen calls to Abby, who is getting inside in front of him, "I see you still have Rex."

Glancing back at him, Abby answers, "Yep. We had to bring him because we figured we'd be gone for a few days."

"_I_ see." Stephen says, nodding. As he closes the door and begins sliding over toward the middle of the seat, he looks to his left and sees a medium sized, tan, plastic pet crate. "Now who's _this_ for?"

"That's Sid and Nancy, a pair of refugees from an anomaly that closed before they could go back through it." Nick, who has just begun to fasten his seatbelt, explains, looking back at Stephen.

"As in Sid Vicious and his girlfriend?" he asks amusedly. Nick nods, smiling. "Where _do_ those two come up with names?" Stephen remarks, shaking his head. Returning to the subject of the crate's occupants, he asks, "What are they? I'm not going to get my hand bitten off if I stick it in there by accident, am I?"

Chuckling, Nick answers, "They're Diictodons, so no, you won't."

"Good to know." Stephen says. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yep." Nick says, nodding. "Let's go." With that, he turns around and switches on the ignition. After a bit of backing and maneuvering, the vehicle is out of the parking spot, and the team is on the way to the hotel, Stephen providing directions the entire way.

Twenty five minutes later, they arrive at the hotel. Nick leaves the SUV idling while he and Connor go inside to check in.

When the man sitting behind the counter looks up, Nick, placing his hands palm down on top of it, leans forward and says, "Reservations for Nick Cutter?"

"Nick Cutter, you said?" the man asks politely.

"That's right." Nick answers, nodding.

"Just a moment sir." The host says, sliding his rolling chair to the left and picking up a clipboard. He leafs through it for a couple of minutes, then stops, saying, "Here we are. Room 15 for you, and the one across from it for your companions. Let me get your keys."

"Thanks." Nick says to him. Nick waits while the man looks through the drawers for the room keys. After a few minutes, he finds them. Standing up and handing them to Nick, he says, "There you go, sir. Have a nice day, and enjoy your stay."

"You too, and I'm sure I will." Nick answers graciously. With that, he and Connor turn around and head back to the door. As they walk, Nick slips his room key into his jacket pocket and hands Connor the keys to his and his suite mate's room. They are back in the SUV a couple of minutes later, and Nick drives it around to the back of the hotel and parks it there so Rex, Sid, and Nancy can be unloaded in relative secrecy. While Connor and Abby see to them, Nick and Stephen walk back to the front of the hotel and go back inside. Once they are back in the building, they head in the direction of their room, Stephen in the lead. Ten minutes later, they are standing in front of the door to it.

Nick begins reaching into his pocket for the key, but Stephen says, "I've got it." He unlocks the door and opens it, then the two of them go in, Nick closing the door behind them. "So how are things at the ARC? Anything new?" Stephen asks as he sits down on the edge of the bed he'd claimed as his own the night before.

"Yeah, a few things." Nick says in response to the second question, as he puts his bag down on the other bed and begins taking off his jacket. He pauses briefly in thought, then continues. "Let's see. We added two new people to the team: Dr. Sarah Page, an archaeologist who helps me with predicting the anomalies in our new model, and a military captain named Becker. He keeps the rest of us out of harm's way."

"So he's military?" Stephen remarks, pausing from untying his shoes, and looking up.

"Yeah, Connor likes to call him 'action man'." Nick answers, finishing with removing his jacket and looking for a hanger to put it on.

Smiling amusedly, Stephen says, "Does he?"

Nodding and chuckling a little, Nick replies, "Yeah."

"That's a good one. I'll bet Captain Becker doesn't like the nickname much though." Stephen comments with a laugh. "Hangers are over there." He adds, indicating the closet across from the bathroom

Smiling, Nick answers, "No, he's not very fond of it. And thanks."

"Sure." Stephen replies. Returning to the subject of discussion, he asks curiously, "So whose idea was it to make military personnel part of the team?"

"Lester's. He didn't want a repeat of what happened to you, so he gave us bodyguards."

"Imagine that." Stephen remarks thoughtfully.

"I know, right?" Nick agrees, nodding. "I think as little as he hides how much he dislikes us, Lester really _is _concerned about our well being." Having hung up his jacket, Nick begins unpacking his bag, laying the items on the bed one by one.

"Sounds like." Stephen answers, nodding as well. "I heard you say something about a new anomaly model?" he continues, moving on to another subject. Nick nods. "Tell me about it."

"We met Dr. Page when the detector alerted us to an anomaly in the British Museum. The creature that came through turned out to be a Pristichampsus, but Dr. Page, being a specialist in Egyptology, thought it was the physical form of an ancient god. We eventually corrected her, of course." Stephen nods, so Nick continues. "That experience led her, Connor, and I to come up with the theory that virtually all the creatures described in the myths and legends from every culture in human history are or were actually animals that came through an anomaly at some point."

Looking at Nick with slight puzzlement, Stephen says, "So if I'm understanding you correctly, just about every supposedly non-existent or mythical creature, whether a dragon, a yeti, or something else, is or was actually an animal from one time appearing in another because of an anomaly?"

"Exactly." Nick answers, nodding.

"Wow, that's…!" Stephen replies, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Sounds mad, doesn't it?" Nick acknowledges with a slight smile.

Stephen nods, but then asks, "Does it work?"

"We've only had one opportunity to test it so far, but we turned out to be right, so I guess you could say it _does_."

Upon Nick's last few words, the significance of the discovery suddenly dawns on Stephen, and he says, "Which means…"

"We can predict anomalies ahead of time." Nick, knowing exactly what Stephen was planning to say, finishes with a nod.

"Right." The somewhat younger man replies, also nodding. After a brief pause, he adds in a congratulatory manner, "That's great!"

"It is." Nick agrees, with a smile and another nod. "It'll definitely be helpful, even more so once Connor works the bugs out of his device to control the anomalies."

"Control them? How do you mean?" Stephen asks with surprise.

"Another thing he and Dr. Page figured out while we were trying to get the creature out of the British Museum. They found out that the way to open and close anomalies was to reverse their polarity. As soon as we got back to the ARC, Connor started trying to work out how to do that mechanically. The device isn't finished yet, but he said it was close when I asked him the other day."

"Sounds like he's really starting to prove himself." Stephen remarks approvingly.

"He is." Nick agrees, nodding. "I started noticing a change in him right after you supposedly died. As the weeks went by, he had more and more of this quality of maturity I'd never seen in him before. I just noticed little things at first, but as time went on, those little things became more pronounced things. I even trust him enough to let him use a gun, if you can believe that."

"_Really_?" Stephen exclaims. Nick nods. "Wow! What sort of shot is he now? Does he hit his target, or does he mostly miss?"

"He's actually a pretty good shot, though Abby probably helped him a lot with that." Seeing the slight glimmer of amusement in Stephen's eyes, and knowing _exactly_ what it's about, Nick adds with a smile, "He doesn't shoot wild anymore now, either. He's learned to pay attention and think before he pulls the trigger."

Smiling back at him, Stephen says, "You knew exactly what I was thinking about just then, didn't you?"

Still smiling, Nick answers, "Of course I did. Hard to forget something like that." After a pause, he says, "But just between you and me, the bastard kind of deserved getting scared out of his wits like he was, putting his park's visitors in jeopardy the way he did."

"Totally agree with you." Stephen tells him, nodding slightly. Stephen then falls silent, trying to think of how best to broach the next subject on his mind, one that is sensitive for both men. Finally, after some thought, he asks, "Is Helen still causing trouble?"

As Nick continues unpacking his bag, he answers in a surprisingly nonchalant manner, "Yeah, as usual. But she's taken it to a completely new level now."

"How so?" Stephen asks curiously.

"A couple of weeks ago, she got past the security system and seized control of the ARC. Once she got everyone but me out of the way, she had one of her henchmen set off a bomb in the building."

His eyes wide with shock, Stephen exclaims, "With everyone in it?" Nick nods. "My god! Was anyone injured or killed?"

"Luckily, no." Nick answers. "But she didn't stop there. I made the mistake of going in to rescue her from the fire. I found her without too much trouble, and woke her up. Almost as soon as she got back on her feet, she pulled a gun and tried to kill me."

Looking at Nick in shocked disbelief, Stephen says, "_Kill you_?" Nick nods again. "What for?"

"Just before she ordered her henchman to activate the bomb, she told me she'd visited an anomaly and seen a future Earth that was a complete wasteland because years before, my research had led to the discovery of a way to control the future predators, but the experiment eventually got out of hand, and the result was what she'd seen." Nick explains.

"Where did she get _that_ crazy idea from? You'd never agree to something like that!" Stephen exclaims.

Smiling wryly, Nick replies, "I told her the very same thing. But you know how Helen is."

"I do." Stephen says, nodding. "I'm sorry about that, by the way." He adds remorsefully.

Nick is sure he knows what Stephen is referring to, but wants to hear him say it, so instead, he asks, "About what, Stephen?"

"What happened between her and I, and for listening to her instead of you and Lester." He answers.

Stopping in the midst of unpacking, Nick sits down on the edge of his bed. Leaning toward Stephen, he says, "Stephen, I forgave you for that affair with Helen a long time ago. As for letting yourself be duped and manipulated by her, there's nothing _to_ forgive. She's able to do that to everyone. It's one of her talents."

"Everyone but you. She's _never_ been able to fool _you_." Stephen tells him dryly.

"No, she hasn't, you're right." Nick agrees. "But that's only because I was married to her for years. When you live with a person for that long, you get to know them and how they operate _very_ well, so like I said, nothing to forgive."

"So we're good?" Stephen asks uncertainly.

"Yeah, we are." Nick answers, smiling and holding out a hand. Stephen takes it, and the two men shake hands. As Nick returns to unpacking, he says, "But enough about me and the ARC. I'm curious about how you managed to not get torn to shreds by all the predators locked in that room with you." Turning to look at Stephen, Nick asks, "So how did you get away? I was sure you were a dead man!"

"An anomaly opened up in the room just before they attacked, and I went through it. Probably not the smartest thing to do, since I had no idea what time period I'd end up in, but it was either that or let myself be torn limb from limb and eaten alive."

"No argument from me. I'd have done the same thing." Nick says. "So you went through this anomaly. What happened then?"

"I wound up in the Jurassic with a pair of Raptors and a future predator right on my heels. I managed to get the Raptors off my trail, but not the future predator. I spent a week in that time, laying low and trying to avoid it. I was eventually able to give it the slip just long enough to find another anomaly and escape through it. I ended up in the Pliocene era, and spent a few more weeks there, then had to run again. _That_ escape led me through an anomaly to a time in the Earth's future when it looked like what Helen described to you. I was there for two days. The evening of the second, I came through an anomaly that led here, to Cardiff, and the future predator was right behind me."

"So you're the reason it's here?" Nick asks when Stephen has finished.

"Yeah." He answers, sighing deeply.

"Well, what's done is done." Nick says neutrally. "Our job now is to help Harkness and his team get it back to where it belongs before it causes too much damage." Seeing the mildly surprised look on Stephen's face, Nick asks, "What is it, Stephen?"

"That was a better response than I expected." He answers. "You don't seem bothered at all."

"Why would I be?" Nick answers.

"Well, I indirectly led a future predator here and created ours and Torchwood's problem in the first place." Stephen replies.

"Nothing you could of done about that, except go through a different anomaly. And that's an option you didn't have, right?" Nick points out.

"Not at the time, no." Stephen says, shaking his head.

"Right. So like I said, there was nothing you could have done." Nick tells him. The Scotsman pauses for a moment, then walks over to Stephen. Putting his left hand on the younger man's shoulder, Nick adds, "And it's not just that. To tell you the truth, I'm glad to have you back, future predator right on your trail or not."

"You're getting a bit sentimental in your old age." Stephen teases.

"Hey, watch it!" Nick replies, thumping Stephen on the shoulder.

"Just joking." He says, smiling.

"You'd better be." Nick answers, smiling back at him and returning to unpacking.

After a long pause, Stephen says, "Thanks. It's nice to know I was missed."

Turning back around, Nick tells him, "You were, a lot. It had a big effect on all of us."

"Yeah?" Stephen asks.

"Yep." Nick answers, nodding.

"How about that." Stephen muses. Moving on to another subject, he asks, "So, what do you think of Harkness and his team?"

"Interesting group, especially Harkness. Working with them should be quite an experience." Nick says.

"Yeah." Stephen agrees, chuckling slightly. While Nick finishes putting his clothes in the closet and emptying the rest of the contents of his bag, Stephen says, "That pteranodon was a beauty, wasn't it?"

"Yes it was." Nick agrees, smiling. "I'm wondering if it's the same one that came through the aerial anomaly that appeared above that golf course."

"Interesting idea." Stephen says. "What makes you think so?"

"The timing between when it showed up in London and when it appeared here is about right, for one thing." Nick answers. "For another, it seemed to be well adjusted to human presence, considering it's only been around them for two years."

"Good points. You could be right." Stephen acknowledges. The next few minutes pass in silence, then Nick takes out a stack of papers and a small notebook. After setting both aside, he takes off his shoes and puts them in the closet. He then returns to the bed and stretches out on it, his back propped against the headboard. Following that, he picks up the papers and begins reading through them, periodically taking notes. Glancing over, Stephen asks, "What are you working on?"

"New anomaly predictions." Nick answers. "I'm trying to organize them into groups with the ones already in the model, and see if any patterns emerge."

"Can I take a look?" Stephen asks, getting up and walking over.

"Sure. These are the ones I've finished." Nick replies, handing up a smaller pile that had been laying to his right.

"Thanks." Stephen says, taking it.

"Welcome." The other man answers. Stephen returns to his bed, and after positioning himself comfortably on it, sets to reading through the papers he'd been given, paying close attention to the notes written in the margins.

"This is fascinating!" Stephen exclaims, grinning. "To find out every creature of legend and myth wasn't just a story, but something that actually exists or existed, is just…amazing!"

"It is, isn't it?" Nick agrees, looking up and smiling.

"Yeah." Stephen says, smiling back and nodding. After that final exchange, the two men return to reading over the papers in silence, and eventually drift off.

Around the same time, Connor and Abby, now in _their_ room, are unpacking, albeit with some difficulty.

"Sid, come back here with that!" Connor protests, running after the Diictodon, who is scuttling hither and thither with a pamphlet from off the room's nightstand clenched firmly in his jaws. Once the Diictodon has found a considerably secure place, he proceeds to start ripping the pamphlet to shreds. By the time Connor has reached the Diictodon, half the pamphlet is scattered around in pieces on the floor.

"Oh, great! It's gonna take forever to clean this up!" Connor says miserably, plopping down on the floor at the foot of the bed Abby had claimed. Glancing up at her, Connor asks, "Abby, could you see if there's a broom and dustpan or something in here someplace?"

"Yeah, hang on." She answers.

"Thanks." Connor says. While Abby hunts for any cleanup implements, Connor, after managing to get the remains of the pamphlet away from the Diictodon, repositions himself into a crouch and begins picking up the pieces, scattered around on the carpet in front of the closet and inside it on the left side, by hand. Fifteen minutes later, Abby has finished her search. Looking up, Connor asks her, "Any luck?"

"Nope, not a thing." She answers. "I _did_ find a bag, though."

"That's something to put the scraps in, at least." Connor reasons. "Thanks."

"Yeah." Abby says, nodding. With that, she returns to unpacking, and Connor to picking up the mess.

Another fifteen minutes later, he has finished. As he stands up, clear plastic bag in hand, his eyes fall on the bed at the opposite side of the room. There, strewn about the bed and on the floor around it, is the majority of Connor's clothes. Surveying the extent of the mess, he remarks unhappily, "You're kidding me." While making his way over to the bed and bemoaning the size of the mess, Connor hears squeaking coming from the right side of the bed, and goes to investigate. When he reaches the site of the noise, a look of abject frustration crosses his face. On the floor, squeaking and growling, their claws digging into the fibers of the carpet, are Sid and Nancy, embroiled in a game of tug-of-war with a pair of Connor's boxers. "Cut that out, you two! That's not a toy!" he scolds. After a number of failed attempts, Connor manages to separate the two Diictodons and retrieve his boxers.

While he is shaking out the fluorescent yellow boxers and examining them for any damage, Abby, who had already been smiling amusedly at the whole spectacle, can't hold in her mirth any longer, and erupts into a fit of laughter. "_Nice_ underwear, Connor." She says in the midst of a break in her merriment. In response to her teasing, Connor, who had turned bright red when Abby had begun laughing, simply gives her a hard glare.

Returning his attention to the mess on and around the bed, Connor catches Nancy on top of it, pulling the remainder of his clothes out of his bag. "Now stop that!" he says, his voice now laced with a hint of extreme displeasure.

Abby concludes one more brief bout of laughter, and after clearing her throat, suggests, "I think they might be hungry."

Connor glances at his watch, then agrees, "I think you're right. I'll take care of that right now." With that, he opens another compartment of his overnight bag and pulls out a gallon-sized, plastic Ziploc bag holding six small containers of greens and tuber-like vegetables. When he has done that, Connor reaches back into the compartment and takes out a pair of medium-size, plastic bowls. He puts one inside the other, and after taking two of the food containers out of the bag, starts walking over to the bathroom, calling as he does so, "Sid, Nancy, come on, time to eat." Upon that alert, the two Diictodons stop what they're doing and follow after him obediently. Once all three are in the bathroom, Connor sets the bowls down on the floor side by side. After doing that, he opens each of the food containers and empties the contents into one bowl each. "Okay, guys, there you go." Connor says as he stands up and begins gathering up the components of the food containers. When he has finished, he goes back out into the main part of the room.

After he gets back to his bed, he takes thirty-five minutes to put his clothes away. When he has finished doing that and picked up the bowls on the bathroom floor, Connor shyly asks Abby, "Are you hungry? Would you like to, uh, get something to eat?"

"Sure." She says. "Any idea where we can find information about where to eat?"

"Not for certain, no, but looking around here would be a good place to start." Connor answers.

"Works for me." Abby agrees, shrugging.

"Okay, I'll get going on that right now." Connor says. Following that, he goes to sthe small, decorative table near the center of the room and in between the desk and the television. Just as Stephen had done the night before, Connor leafs through the information packet he finds there. "Here we go." Connor announces when he has found the right page. After putting a finger on the page to keep his place, Connor closes the book-like packet and walks over to Abby, who is sitting on the end of her bed. "How does this sound?" Connor asks, flipping the packet open again when he gets to Abby.

"Let me see." She says, holding out a hand. Connor gives the packet to her, then waits quietly while she looks over it. After a couple of minutes, she hands it back to him, and says, "Sounds good."

"Okay, then that's what we'll do." Connor replies, taking it from her. He then walks back to the table and sets the packet down. "Ready to go?" he asks, turning back to Abby.

"Yeah." She answers, getting up and walking over to the table, where Connor is still standing. They look around the room to see what Sid, Nancy, and Rex are up to. To their relief, all three are resting quietly: Rex stretched out on the pillow on Abby's bed, and the pair of Diictodons in their crate, on the verge of drifting off. "Looks like they tired themselves out." Abby observes, nodding toward it.

"Yeah." Connor agrees. "And about time, too."

"Oh, come on, Connor. Give them a break. This is a completely new experience for them, and a totally new place. You can't blame them for being a _little_ wild." Abby says.

"I guess you're right." Connor concedes.

"Of course I am." Abby replies, clapping him on the back. "Let's go eat."

"Right." Connor says with a nod. With that, they head for the door, Abby slightly ahead. When they are nearly in front of it, Abby turns around and calls, "We'll come back soon. Be good." Having informed the animals of their departure, Abby and Connor head out the door, Connor closing and locking it behind them.

Fifteen minutes later, they are sitting at a table in the restaurant, looking over the lunch menu. They decide on their orders after a few minutes, and relay them as soon as their waiter comes by.

Following a twenty minute wait, they receive their orders, both of which are whole deli sandwiches. For the first ten minutes, they sit in awkward silence, nibbling at their sandwiches, then Connor begins conversation by asking Abby, "So, what creature do you think came through the anomaly?"

"I don't know. It's probably something pretty nasty, though." She answers.

"Yeah?" Connor says. Abby nods. "What makes you think so?" Connor continues.

Abby remains silent for a few minutes, thinking, then says, "Something about the way Captain Harkness talked to his crew about trying to find the animal made it sound like it's something really dangerous."

"Yeah?" Connor replies.

"Yeah." Abby answers, nodding.

"Any guesses about what it is?" Connor asks with curiosity.

Shrugging, Abby says to him, "Maybe one of the large prehistoric carnivores, or a future predator, I guess. I don't know."

"Maybe so." Connor agrees. "I guess we'll find out." He adds.

"Yep." Abby agrees, nodding. They take a break from talking to make some progress on their sandwiches, then Abby resumes the conversation. "So besides finding that Weevil Ianto showed us cool, what do you think of everything we saw?"

Connor remains silent for awhile, pondering Abby's question. After a few minutes, he answers, "If I wasn't already working for Cutter and the ARC, I'd be there. How about you? What did you think of everything?"

"I think it could be fun to work there, too." Abby answers.

"What about the people? What did you think of them?" Connor inquires. "Ianto seemed friendly, and Captain Harkness was pretty cool."

"He was." Abby agrees, nodding. "I liked Ianto, too." She adds. Abby pauses for a moment, then says, "Captain Harkness reminds me of Stephen, actually."

"Oh yeah?" Connor asks.

"Yeah." Abby answers, nodding again.

Connor sits silently for awhile, thinking over Abby's admission, then he says, "I can sort of see how he could give that impression. Since we're talking about Stephen, wasn't it freaky to see him there?"

"At first, yeah." Abby answers. "But after the shock wore off, I was really glad to see him. Weren't you?"

"Yeah, sure I was!" Connor tells her, nodding vigorously. "It's just, I've only just started getting used to the idea that he's, you know, dead, then we come here and find out that _he's still alive_! It's just really weird, you know?"

"Yeah, I see what you mean." Abby says, nodding understandingly.

"Thanks." Connor says, smiling slightly. He pauses for a moment, then adds, "It'll take getting used to, but it's gonna be great to work with him again."

"Yeah, it will." Abby agrees, giving another nod. They finish the remainder of their sandwiches in silence, then ask their waiter for the check when he comes by. Fifteen minutes later, he returns. He asks if they would like anything else, and after receiving an answer in the negative, he puts the check on the table and wishes them a good afternoon.

"I'll get this." Connor says, pulling his wallet out of his jacket pocket.

"You sure?" Abby asks him.

"Yeah, it's fine." Connor answers as he pulls out the right amount, along with the tip, and sets it down on the table.

"Okay." Abby says, shrugging.

"Ready?" Connor asks her as he puts his wallet back in his pocket.

"Yeah." Abby answers.

"Okay, let's go." Connor replies, getting up and pushing in his chair. Abby does the same, and the pair walks out, Abby slightly ahead.

They walk in silence for a few minutes, then Abby turns to Connor and asks, "Connor, that wasn't like, a date or anything, was it?"

Shaking his head, Connor answers, "No, of course not, just lunch."

"Just lunch?" Abby asks again, just to be certain.

"Yeah, just lunch." Connor assures her, nodding.

"Okay, good." Abby says. They are silent for the rest of the walk back to the room, both secretly hoping that in spite of what the other said, there _was_ something more to it. When they get to the door, Abby unlocks it. Once inside the room with the door shut, both Connor and Abby survey it to make sure no damage had been done during their absence. Satisfied that none was, Abby turns to Connor and comments, "Looks like they've been sleeping the whole time."

"Yeah." He agrees, nodding. At the sound of Connor and Abby's voices, the three animals wake up and leave their resting spots, the pair of Diictodons doing so first. Seeing them, Connor, crouching down and smiling, says, "Hey guys. Did you have a good nap?" As if in response, Sid squeaks. Connor laughs slightly, then asks, "Wanna go outside for a bit?" The Diictodon squeaks again. "I thought so. Come on." Connor says. With that, he and the Diictodons go out into the hall furtively, followed by Abby, Rex on her shoulder. Fifteen minutes later, they come back. After settling in, Connor and Abby spend the rest of the time playing with Sid, Nancy, and Rex.

Two hours later, Nick and Stephen are awakened by the sound of the former's mobile phone ringing. After fumbling around drowsily for a few minutes and taking a moment to clear his head, Nick picks his phone up off the nightstand and answers it. "Yeah?" he says, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

"You guys ready to continue that meeting?" Jack, speaking on the other end of the line, asks.

"Yeah, sure." Nick answers. "Do you just want to see Stephen and me, or all of us?"

"Mmmm…, all four of you this time. The rest of _my_ team will be sitting in, too." The Torchwood leader says.

"Okay. We'll be right there." Nick assures him.

"Great. See you in a bit." Jack replies.

"Yep." The other man says. Following that, the two men hang up.

Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Stephen asks, "What's up?"

"Harkness wants the four of us back at their base to finish the meeting." Nick answers, beginning to slide off the edge of the bed, his mobile phone in hand.

"I guess we'd better get going, then." Stephen says, moving from his spot on the left side of his bed to the edge of it.

"Yep." Nick agrees, standing up, then walking over to the sink. After setting his phone down someplace safely away from it, Nick turns on the faucet, after which he splashes some water on his face. Once he has dried off, he walks to the closet, retrieving his phone and slipping it into the left pocket of his pants as he passes by it on the left side of the counter. When he gets to the closet, he slips back into his shoes, then puts his coat back on.

"Ready to go get Connor and Abby and head out?" Stephen asks after putting his own shoes back on.

"Yeah." Nick answers. With that, the two men start toward the door, Stephen slightly ahead. When they get to the door, he opens it, and after getting out into the hall, holds the door open for Nick to come through. "Thanks." He says as he joins Stephen in the hall.

"No problem." He answers. Nick takes a moment to lock the door, then the two men walk the short distance to Connor and Abby's room. Once they are in front of the door, Nick knocks on it. A few seconds later, it is opened by Abby, who has Rex perched on her right shoulder.

"What's up?" she asks Nick politely.

"Harkness wants to meet with all of us at their base." He answers.

"Okay, we'll be ready in a bit." Abby says. "The two of you can come in if you want." She adds, turning back toward the interior of the room.

"Thanks, I think we will." Nick tells her, walking in, Stephen right behind him.

As Abby goes further into the room, she calls, "Come on, Connor, we've got to go."

"Go where?" Connor asks, walking toward them with Sid in his arms, and Nancy following behind.

"I guess Captain Harkness wants to meet with all of us at their base. At least that's what Cutter said." Abby answers.

"Okay, hold on." Connor requests, putting Sid down on the floor. By then, Nick and Stephen are well into the room, one of them leaning against the door frame with his hands in his jean pockets, and the other standing a couple of feet from the door with his hands on his hips. While Connor is hunting for his shoes, Nancy is slowly walking toward Nick and Stephen.

"Mind if I introduce myself to her?" Stephen, now venturing from his spot against the door frame, asks.

"No, go ahead." Abby says. "Give her this to get her to come closer." She adds, reaching into her pocket and taking out a piece of food.

"Okay." Stephen replies, taking it from her. Once he has the tidbit in hand, he slowly goes down into a crouch, the hand holding the food outstretched, palm up. Upon seeing it, the female Diictodon quickens her pace slightly. After she has reached Stephen, she sniffs at his hand cautiously for a moment. Once she's satisfied that he's safe, Nancy daintily takes the bit of food from Stephen's hand. Before returning to Sid and Connor, she lets Stephen pet her gently on the head. When he has finished, she goes back to roughhousing with Sid.

As Stephen stands up, Nick, who had been watching the whole time, says with a smile, "I didn't know you had such a way with animals."

"Neither did I." Stephen replies, smiling back.

"Almost ready, Connor?" Abby, now absent Rex, who had departed to play with the Diictodons, calls across the room.

"Yeah, let's go." Connor answers as he comes over, his computer bag slung over his right shoulder. He and Abby then head for the door, Nick and Stephen right behind. Just before Abby closes the door, she turns around and says to Rex, Sid, and Nancy, "We'll be back soon. You three stay out of trouble." That done, she closes and locks the door behind them.

Ten minutes later, they are at the car. Nick gets in first, followed by Stephen, who sits down in front with him, rather than in back. Connor and Abby, seemingly accepting of the new seating arrangement, sit in the back passenger seat.

After a couple of minutes, Nick, looking at each of his companions in turn, asks, "Everyone ready?" All three additional occupants nod. "Alright then, let's go." Following that, he turns on the ignition, and they drive off.


End file.
